Between Worlds
by Saria19
Summary: A pilot living a hectic life on Earth finds herself crash landing in Gaia after a lightning strike shorts out her plane's electrical systems. Between Shinra's manipulations, new powers, her own doubts, and a steadily worsening situation, life is quickly turning into an adventure she never expected. Clifa, Zaris, Reeve/OC
1. Chapter 1

Saria: (grins at the screen)

Zas: Why?

Saria: I'm bored.

Tori: We all know Saria, she has been in almost constant motion for years now. Her back injury is forcing her to stay still.

SA: In other words, she is going to go utterly insane if she can't find a way to entertain herself for the next month.

Zas: But with the way she giggles, her parents are going to be certain that the medication is too much.

Saria: Everyone, be polite and say hello to Mr. Presley!

zzzzzzzzzz

Adventures all have a beginning, but even before that beginning; there is a story about the characters, how they got to be who and what they are.

I think we can skip all of that and just establish who I am. I'm a pilot and I have never been prouder of anything else. I don't fly for any airline though, instead opting for the cargo side of operations. The good news: I have never had to deal with whiny passengers that get mad when the flight gets too rough. The bad news: I'll sometimes fly into very questionable weather. Much like now, where this story begins.

The weather was horrible, lightning flashed around the plane at intermittent intervals. Rain poured, restricting visibility significantly. The turbulence jostled the craft, throwing the tiny plane upwards hundreds of feet, then dropping it hundreds of feet. For a moment, everything in the plane experienced a moment of weightlessness, zero-G.

I grinned as I finally reached a calm area. Sure I loved a bit of turbulence, but the cargo today was several boxes of medical supplies and laboratory specimens. In other words, breakable. Luckily I'd be starting the approach very soon, and though the ceilings were low, all aircraft ahead of me had reported smooth approaches.

Glancing at the seat next to me, I was pleased to see that my back pack was still belted firmly to the seat. Good thing too, if it had slipped out of the restraint, that last bit of turbulence would have certainly smashed my things against the ceiling.

"Ram Ex 142, turn to heading 210, maintain 3000 until established on the localizer, cleared ILS 18L," ATC announced over the radio.

Immediately tapping my own transmit button, I responded, "Ram Ex 142, heading 210, 3000 until established on the localizer, cleared ILS 18L." Redundant? Definitely. But in case of confusion, it was much easier to clarify.

A moment of silence passed as I turned the plane, checking my instruments to insure I was on course and altitude, then the radio squeaked again.

"Ram Ex 142, a cell is passing over the airport. Echoes indicate that there is extreme activity. Can you state your current conditions?"

Taking a quick moment to consider my current conditions, I gave my report. "Ram Ex 142, conditions are clouds and rain, but no turbulence at the moment."

"Roger, if you need to devia-" A splash of violently bright light shot across the sky at that point, the same time the loudest crash of thunder I had ever heard erupted. And to my horror, the radios went dead.

"Oh hell," I murmured as I attempted to check the circuit breakers while keeping an eye on my Nav 2 receiver, which oddly enough had remained active. Great, I was flying deaf in busy airspace on an approach which I had thankfully been cleared for, during very bad weather. Only one thing to do in this situation since troubleshooting didn't seem to be working. Transmit the code for radio outage and fly the best approach I could. I would not be going missed on this one; there was no way I'd be able to get back.

The instruments indicated that I was on the approach path, and I turned the plane on course. The glide slope that would direct my descent indicated that the path was above me, so I just needed to hold altitude until I intersected with it.

"Ram Ex 142, on the localizer," I called out over the radio. I severely doubt anyone heard, but regulations dictated that I should continue to report on the off chance that someone did.

The instruments indicated that the descent path, the glide slope, was almost at my altitude. Reaching over, I lowered the landing gear switch and breathed a sigh of relief as the red gear unsafe light was replaced by the green lights that meant the gear was down and secure several seconds later. Right in time to begin the final descent for the airport.

Lightning danced again as ear shattering thunder rolled, only this time, the lightning lingered, jumping around the plane, striking through the glass. Striking my backpack! I almost screamed right then, but chose to keep my attention where it belonged, on the aircraft. I needed to get this bird down!

White light once again illuminated the cockpit, but this time it came from beside me. Checking out of the corner of my eye so as not to lose the approach, I saw that my bag had opened, and my new PSVita was hovering in the air!

Forcing my attention away from the obviously stress-induced hallucination, I fought to keep the plane level while continuing the descent. I continued to ignore the light as I descended through 2000 feet, only about 1170 more feet until the decision altitude. All that time, the light grew brighter and brighter, then the turbulence kicked in again.

Tensing, I pushed as firmly as I dared to force the plane to continue downward at a set rate. At 1500 feet, the hallucination light finally seemed to envelope the entire craft before dissipating completely, much to my relief. Even better, the radio snapped back on. Right on tower frequency!

"Tower, Ram Ex 142, lost radios for a moment, currently on the ILS 18L at 1430!" I called out.

A few moments passed, then a squeaky voice announced in an oh so intelligent manner, "What?"

I was descending through 1300 feet now; I didn't have time for a slow air traffic controller! "Ram Ex 142, am I cleared to land?" I demanded loudly.

"Um… Yes?" The voice squeaked.

"Ram Ex 142 cleared to land runway 18L!" I practically shouted, eyeing my altimeter as I descended through 1200. I should be down in less than a minute at this rate!

Keeping half an eye on my descent and approach path indicators, I began searching for the runway. This particular approach would take me to 200 feet over the runway, if I could see the runway lights or environment from there, then I could make a landing.

Passing through 1000 feet, I really began to focus, I was certain that I was getting the first glimpses of lights beneath me. 900 feet, and I was certain of those lights, a few more feet and I would see the runway!

Breaking out proved to be a seriously disconcerting experience. I was certain I should have been looking down at one of the Atlanta airports, but I didn't think any very tall buildings would be this close to the airports! Luckily though, I did see the runway!

"YES!" I shouted to no one at all. Fun part of single pilot operations, probably the most dangerous area you could be in, but you could still get bored enough to talk to yourself. Or excited as was my case.

As I continued for the landing, finally emerging from the cloud soup I had been swimming in for several hours, I began to notice something strange about this runway. The runway lights were all evenly spaced, which was normal, but the identifier lights were missing, as were the runway length lights, centerline lights… and were those houses? Oh crap…

Part of me immediately thought to put in full power and go around, but common sense also pointed out to me this: my plane systems were obviously on the fritz after being struck by lightning. If I didn't land here, then I might not get another chance at a safe landing.

Thus, I was forced to make my first ever off-airport landing. On a residential street of Atlanta, in questionable weather, after being struck by lightning, in the middle of the freaking night. I hope the residents here had a good sense of humor.

Landing wasn't too bad, though I did feel crowded by the buildings that surrounded the street, and I quickly shut down the engine and electric systems, after activating my emergency location transponder. Grabbing my backpack, making sure that my PSVita was inside, and then briefly checking my phone, I discovered I had no reception. Zipping the bag shut, I unlatched the door and climbed out of the cockpit.

All around me, the buildings rose up several stories, all of them at least four stories tall! They didn't look rundown either, which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the residents. Working class people could be reasoned with, rich people would most likely be troublesome.

Running over to the first door on the closest building, I knocked rapidly. "Hello? Is anyone there?" I called. I heard no one inside, and after several moments I moved to the next door over. Once again there was no answer when I knocked and shouted. Third door however did get a response.

"You stay out there!" A voice shouted at me before I even knocked.

"Sir, please! I just had an in-flight emergency and had to set down here because my systems were not working properly. I need to use your phone!"

"The authorities have already sent an advisory for all residents to stay inside. They'll be here in under a minute!"

"Seriously?" I replied, disbelieving that the police would get here so fast. I was certain I'd need to give an address and then wait for at least twenty minutes. I must have been tracked by radar by air traffic control who updated the police. Ok then, since that has been taken care of, I'd better check the cargo.

Moving back to the plane, I opened the rear cargo door and pulled back the cargo net, giving the boxes a quick cursory once over to check for any leaks in the packages. Right as I reached the conclusion that everything was alright, a large and strong hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.

The man in front of me wore a suit and looked like he was part of the secret service to be honest. Glancing around, I spied several unmarked vans and an expensive black car.

Well, might as well see how far my luck had already been pushed.

"Hi, would you mind letting me borrow your phone? Mine seems to be broken, probably because of the lightning that shorted out my navigational systems and radios, and I'd like to call the courier from…" I grabbed the load manifest to check the name of the company. "Shinra Science Department?" I will admit that I was confused by this; I thought the company was LabCorp.

The man stared at me for a moment before signaling two men in ridiculous blue uniforms to come over then said to me in a stern voice, "Stay here."

"Yes sir!" I replied as I snapped a salute.

I watched him pull out a rather large and bulky phone as he walked over to the car, probably confirming my tail number and the delivery, strange he didn't ask my name or if I was alright. My company was bound to be in contact with ATC also, so they would call the courier even if I didn't get the opportunity.

"So, you were the pilot little missy?" One of the men asked. Turning to stare at the two, I noticed that they both wore helmets not unlike what the infantry men wore in FFVII and Crisis Core. I kind of wonder how they were able to see out of those things.

"Sure am!" I replied with a grin. "Been flying for over eight years now and never regretted a moment of it!" Except when I was instructing, but they don't need to know that.

The two nodded then looked at the plane. "Does this thing fly well?"

"Relatively," I answered honestly.

"How fast does it go?"

"I can get this particular sucker up to 155 knots!" I replied with a grin.

At their shared looks of confusion, I did some quick mental math. "About 180 miles per hour."

They still looked confused, so I converted once more. "300 kilometers per hour."

The men looked like I had just pulled out a giant herring and smacked them with it.

"Damn," one of them whistled.

"You two, unload that plane and get it to the proper airport. Make sure you collect the load manifest." Glancing over, I saw that Mr. Suit was back and off the phone. His attention turned to me. "I'll be escorting you to the main building where payment can be arranged, as well as determination over whether you should be held accountable for this."

Payment? Didn't they pay the company directly? "Should I bring my flight plans, sectionals, and logs to help with my case?" I asked.

"No, what happened is obvious," he replied. I had a terrible sinking feeling.

Glancing back at the two other men, he barked, "Move!"

"Yes Rude Sir!" The men replied as they saluted, one of them grabbing the manifest from me before turning to grab one of the boxes from the plane.

Wait a moment, Rude? Come to think of it, he did resemble FFVII's Rude, to an uncanny degree at that.

"Come," he ordered, directing me to the car.

I don't know why I obeyed the way I did, maybe I was just in shock. But within moments I was seated in the back of the car, Rude was behind the steering wheel, and we were pulling away from where my plane was being unloaded by a bunch of untrained oafs who intended to take it to an airport afterwards, then the car was on a freeway speeding towards the large building I had seen from the air mere minutes ago. And inscribed on the front of the tower was the insignia that I recognized as the Shinra logo from all the games.

"So, I really made it to Midgar," I stated weakly, hoping beyond hope that this "Rude" would say that I was wrong, that we were in Atlanta, that I must have hit my head too hard.

"Yes, a rather stupid stunt trying to get through this weather," Rude replied.

"Haha, well, we freight dogs are known for having balls to do inadvisable stunts," I responded, feeling my stomach go completely cold. Thinking back, I remembered that I had been playing FFVII on my PSVita earlier, maybe I was just dreaming after a very stress filled day, already on the ground and home. It had happened before, that I would go home, fall asleep, and dream of work, completely forgetting that I had finished the day in real life while in that state.

Drawing in a quick breath, which felt real enough despite the fact that dreams usually broke down for me as soon as I had rationalized this far, I gave myself a quick, hard pinch on the wrist.

That I felt pain and didn't wake simultaneously excited and worried me. There wasn't time to get very worked up though; we arrived just minutes after my revelation that this could be very real.

zzzzzzzzzz

I wasn't escorted through the front entrance, instead Rude drove the car into a hidden car garage and we rode the elevator up to the 44th floor. Apparently, that was where room that was considered the low level meeting room as well as the "interview" rooms were located.

I was first led to one of these "interview" rooms, there I was asked about what happened during the flight.

I told them how the flight, though bumpy, was uneventful until the lightning strike and that afterwards I lost most of my Navigation instruments as well as my radio. How I intercepted the approach course and was following that to the ground, and the split second decision I made to land since my radios were fried anyway.

My "Interviewer" nodded as he kept notes on my remarks, I in turn noted that he wore the uniform of the Turks. Which meant that the events of FFVII hadn't started yet since I didn't recognize him! If there were Turks other than Tseng, Elena, Reno, and Rude, then they hadn't been "retired" yet!

If I could get out of here, with my plane, then there was a LOT I could do! I could help Zack survive, and then Aeris, the Sector Seven Plate, Wedge, Biggs, Jessie, the people of Mideel… Good lord, I'm making myself dizzy.

"Katana," a woman who I vaguely recognized as "Shotgun" of the Turks, stated as she entered the room.

The male Turk, "Katana" apparently, nodded to her. She gave me a smile that looked like it was meant to be reassuring, and then took the man's place behind the desk as he departed. She placed my backpack on the table in front of us.

"I want you to unpack this for me, if you don't mind. Company policy."

I nodded as I reached out and grabbed the pack, opening the main compartment first. "In here I have three books, pajamas, a spare pair of pants, shirt, and other garments, my log book, a folder, a notebook, and my emergency snacks." I laid the various items on the table in front of her before moving to the next compartment. Hell, my PSVita is in this compartment… Maybe I can pass it off as one of those super old and simple game systems that only play one programmed game.

"Travel toothbrushes, travel sized shampoo and conditioner, comb, hair ties, mini-hairbrush, ointment, band-aids, chapstick, flight medical, bar soap, tissues, radio operator's license, old game, hand sanitizer, napkins, mini-screwdriver, two knives, and aspirin." Once more, I have piled the items on the table, praying that she doesn't give the Vita a second glance since I made it a point not to look at it after setting it down.

Now the forward most compartment. This time, I started to seriously sweat. I had my wallet, cell phone, pilot licenses, passport, and a Kindle in this particular compartment. I'm not foolish enough to think I can fool her, luckily I didn't have to.

Right as I began to unzip that compartment, the door was opened and in walked none other than Prof. Hojo himself, complete in a lab coat. What an honor!

"What is going on here?" the deranged scientist demanded of the blond woman across from me. "I was not expecting to receive these samples for another week due to weather. This being, though none too fascinating to look at, has acted as a great enabler for me. Stop this foolishness at once!"

I don't know if I was thankful for Hojo, or seriously insulted.

Shotgun on the other hand looked ready to protest, but decided in the end that it wasn't worth the effort. She stood fluidly, gave me a nod which I returned with a sincere look, and departed. I quickly gathered my things and shoved them haphazardly into my backpack.

"You know better than to make great men wait, even at personal risk. I wish more of your generation had picked up on such habits." Hojo was seriously tooting his own horn, and he seemed to expect me to take it as a compliment. I can play along for now, especially if it will keep me out of searches.

"I believe that it is my parents you should thank for that. They always impressed upon me the notion that to keep another waiting when you were able was laziness," I replied as I finished zipping my pack and stood from the table.

"An excellent lesson indeed." Reaching back to his assistant, Hojo grabbed an envelope which he tossed to me. I didn't bother to check the contents. That would appear unprofessional, rude, and most importantly, if they did purposefully place the incorrect amount inside, I wouldn't know.

"Since it's so late, and you obviously pushed yourself harshly to make it here tonight, I've had the company make arrangements for you to stay in one of our guestrooms. You can depart tomorrow."

"You have my gratitude," was my answer as I offered a small, polite bow to the man.

Hojo seemed to grin at my gesture, a horrible twisting of the lips that only the insane and sadistic can accomplish. "Excellent manners indeed," he stated. "Would you mind telling me your name?"

My thoughts raced, I didn't want to give him my real name, but I couldn't give him one I wasn't used to responding to. "Rachas." It was the nickname I used to be called by students and co-workers.

Hojo nodded as he turned toward the door and almost got barreled into by another assistant who rushed into the room.

"Professor, the lab in Nibelheim has reported that two samples have just escaped!" The man blurted this before he realized my presence.

"Seeing as how you are a very busy man, I believe that this would be an excellent time to excuse myself," I quietly stated as I stepped around the man and departed the room, the other assistant joining me in the hall immediately, remarking that he would escort me to the proper place.

zzzzzzzzzz

The room I was in resembled an elegant hotel suite, complete with a sitting room, kitchenette, and dining room on top of the typical bedroom and bathroom. I was thankful for the space, I was nervous enough that I was pacing the floor in all of those extra rooms.

In my world, it should be after midnight, my watch confirms that. Here, the clocks in the kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom all state that it is not yet even ten.

By my estimations, I landed here about an hour and a half ago. The Turks had taken all of an hour to interrogate/debrief me. I had been placed in this room fifteen minutes ago. Cloud and Zack had just escaped. How did I really get here? Lightning strikes all the time, that doesn't result in you finding yourself in a video game/alternate dimension!

Maybe I need to relax with a hot shower. There isn't much I can do at the moment, and nothing would be more suspicious than a "guest" attempting to leave Shinra HQ at this hour of night.

Rifling through my pack, I pulled out my shampoo, conditioner, comb, and soap as well as my pajamas. I hope they have towels here.

Flicking on the bathroom light, I felt my mouth unhinge. Not because the bathroom proved to be just as well appointed as the other rooms, but because I got a good look at myself in the mirror.

My natural hair color is a strange blend of dirty blond, brown, and red. I look blond under the sun, very light brown under most artificial light, and red under very bright artificial light. That apparently doesn't exist in this world. I am inarguably blond now. Good lord, I'm going to be the butt of my own favorite jokes now!

Groaning, I made a note to grab some dye as soon as I got out of here as I moved toward the shower and started the water. A shower, then bed. A night to let things settle in my head, and I should be able to think clearly.

zzzzzzzzzz

All around me, I could feel the green river that flowed, unabated by my form. It felt clean, alive, and oddly desperate. It left the impression on me that someone far off was screaming, screaming in pain, screaming for help…

'_Come to me…'_ The words seemed to float through the air, and as they did, the green river vanished. _'Come… I called… Answer."_

'Who's there?' My mind shouted, as I found that my mouth didn't seem to exist here.

'_Come…'_

'Where?' I asked, and before me appeared the image of a door. A door I remembered well from the games.


	2. Chapter 2

Tori: Well, first chapter down.

Zas: Yeah, but nothing has really happened yet.

Saria: Not true! I can stand! (on her feet next to the bed)

Tori: WHY ARE YOU OUT OF BED?

SA: (pulls out the bed straps)

zzzzzzzzzzz

Morning finally came, punctuated by the alarm on my wristwatch. I forced myself up with a groan and marched straight to the bathroom, glaring at my reflection as I did. God, I hated being a dark blond, and the new vividness of my hair was not endearing itself to me at all.

Quickly relieving myself and changing into my spare clothes, tying my hair back into a ponytail, I noted that the current time here was just after 6am. It was still a little too early to leave, so I should organize my thoughts and come up with a definitive plan.

First, how much money did I have? I really don't think my bank accounts transferred, so the payment for that "delivery" will probably be a godsend.

Pulling the envelope out and flipping it open, I counted out 30,000 gil. If the currency rate here is comparable to the Yen, then this would equal about $300. God I hope that I'm wrong; this wouldn't even pay for the plane to be refueled if gas is just as expensive here as it is on Earth. Wait, is there even Avgas here?

Next problem: Zack. I have a plane, so if I can meet up with him, perhaps I can convince him to allow me to fly him to Midgar. But how? I can't just fly out to Banora and camp out, waiting for him to show up, could I? Looks like I have a last resort plan already, I'm also sure that I have at least three days before I'd need to get to Banora, after all, I have a plane and am in Midgar, and Zack would have to cross a continent and an ocean. In order to get there though, I'd need a map. All I knew about the location of that place was that it was in the same area/island as Mideel.

And I'm now planning under the assumption that I'll have an airplane to take me that far. If I don't, what then?

I groaned as I felt the beginnings of a headache begin to set in. There were too many uncertainties right now. I needed to narrow down the possibilities, know what I did have at my disposal aside from what was currently in my backpack. And get supplies. I was going to need a bangle at least, and some materia. My knives would work for immediate weapons, but they wouldn't last long if things got tough. They also lacked slots for materia. Food was a definite, and I could sleep in the plane so there was no need for a tent right away. Potions, antidotes, water…

My mental list was interrupted by a knock on the door to the suite.

Quickly stashing the envelope of gil into a pocket, I walked to the door, performing a quick cursory as I moved, insuring everything was in my backpack and that it was shut. I just saw two items that were not in place, my hair brush and package of travel toothbrushes. Those weren't sensitive, so I opened the door.

On the other side of the door was Rude, and he was accompanied by what looked to be a random bald lab assistant if the white coat was anything to go by.

"Already up?" The lab-ass asked with a slightly surprised expression.

"Were you hoping to catch me in my undergarments?" I accused in a joking manner. I couldn't repress my smile when I saw him sputter slightly. "Rest assured, I wouldn't have opened the door if I were in a state of undress," I added, hoping the man would calm down.

"Well, it is just before seven," the white coat remarked.

"I'll be taking you back to your plane this morning," Rude announced. "Assistant Mido has a report on your aircrafts' condition."

The confirmed lab-ass, now identified as Assistant Mido, spoke up once more. "The lightning did overload a number of the circuits in your radio, but the necessary repairs have been made, so it is flyable. Shinra also took the liberty of refueling the airplane."

Great, this guy has not gone into any specifics, probably thinking I'm just another air-headed pilot who thinks "ground effect" is a pillow of air rather than a demonstration of basic physics. But they did refuel the plane at no charge to me!

"What was the exact damage?" Was my next inquiry.

"Exact damage?" Mido repeated.

"Yes! Was the landing gear in anyway damaged? Are my tires in decent shape? Those aren't designed to land where I did, you know. What in the radio was damaged? The circuitry, transistors, or was the antennae just fired? Did the breaker and voltage regulator perform their jobs and prevent any damage to the delicate areas? Were there any cracks in the fuselage and if so how were they repaired? Those are what I need to know!"

"Uh…"

"Let me guess, not an engineer?" I asked. At Mido's nod, I sighed. Looks like I'd be asking those questions again to the technicians at the airport who did the repairs as well as checking the work myself.

Mido seemed to take my sigh as a dismissal and scurried away down the hall. Rude however just stared at me, one eyebrow slightly quirked. I returned the stare as soon as I noticed it.

"I don't have much sympathy for those who only seem to make a half-ass effort in their work," I explained.

One side of his mouth twitched slightly upward for a moment, a classic Rude version of a smile or a grin.

"We'll be picking up breakfast on the way out, you can eat in the car," he stated.

I nodded then moved back into the room, quickly grabbing the toothbrushes and my brush and tucking them into their places in my backpack. Lugging the pack onto my shoulders, I was back out the door moments later.

I followed Rude down the hall towards the elevators where he scanned his ID card. Almost immediately the doors to one of the elevators popped open and we boarded, Rude pressing the button for the fifth floor.

Before the doors could shut though, a hand shot through the gap, grabbing the doors, causing them to open again. I felt my eyes widen slightly at the sight of the figure before me.

"Mornin' Rude, yo!" Reno declared as he sauntered into the elevator, looking very much like he had just rolled out of bed. "And who do we have here? Rude, you sly dog!"

"This is the pilot of the plane from last night," Rude deadpanned.

"Really, yo?" Reno seemed far more interested in me now. His eyes looked me up and down, taking in my short 5' 4" frame, my jean, T-shirt, and olive-green flight jacket clad figure, my… blond… hair.

"Are you certain? She don't look like a pilot, especially one with balls to fly through weather when even I won't go, yo!"

Rude didn't answer, just opting to give Reno "the look"- Rude style. Didn't slow Reno down at all.

"So, what's yur name, blondie? How'd you learn to fly?"

"My name is Rachas," I replied, gritting my teeth slightly at the blondie comment. "I learned to fly the old fashioned way, I got into a plane with someone who knew how and learned."

Reno threw his head back and laughed at my lame joke. Gathering himself after a moment, Reno turned back to Rude. "Man, you have got to take me with you the next time you go cruising for chicks!"

You know, I think I would have liked Reno a lot more if I were slightly less nervous. I already know from the games that he's pretty smart, even when he puts up this front, and he can be a pretty cool character, but right now I just want to get the hell out of this building!

"So Rachas, where you headin after you get your plane?" Reno inquired.

"Mideel, after I call the customer to make sure they haven't cancelled. I'll be non-rev going, so I need to make certain that I'll have work when I get there."

Reno nodded, understanding that necessity. "So, you're self-employed then. Own your own delivery business. In a plane at that, yo! Where do you live though?"

"In my plane," I responded with a shrug, right as the elevator stopped. "Always on the road, so I pretty much live out of my plane and backpack."

"Time off whenever you choose, wherever you choose, yo." Reno had gained a rather dreamy look. "That sounds like the life."

Reno wandered off at that point while I followed Rude into what appeared to be the cafeteria. He said not a word to me, just indicated where I could pick up a takeout box.

Grabbing a box, I moved through the serving tables quickly, choosing foods such as biscuits, fruit slices, and raisins. Though they were tempting to look at, I only took a small amount of sausages and avoided the French toast. I was packing this with the intent of eating for the rest of today at least, so that I could devote all my money to my camping equipment, initial combat gear, and all extra expenses that I was sure to be met with that hadn't been an issue if this were just a game. Something told me that my usual penny pinching method of not using a potion or ether until they were badly needed wasn't going to fly. Plus, with Zack alive, Cloud would need a sword.

Closing my takeout box, I glanced around the sparsely populated cafeteria until I saw Rude and began to walk towards him. I stopped dead when none other than Tseng, hair still tied back in a tail, approached Rude. The two of them exchanged words for a few moments, and I did my honest best to not look, sitting down at the table I was next to, opening my box, and eating one of the sausages. I had just picked up an apple slice when I heard a throat clear behind me. Glancing back, I found that Rude was now standing behind me, Tseng as well.

"You are the pilot?" Tseng asked. At my nod, he continued.

"I just heard that you are planning to head for Mideel soon. Would that be correct?" Dropping the apple slice back into the box, I nodded then rose to my feet.

"Since you are headed in that direction, I would like to employ your services in transporting several items. They were ordered for the doctor who resides down there."

"I'm familiar with him," I replied. "Would these materials be time sensitive by any chance? Breakable? Possibly biohazards?"

"All three," Tseng replied. "The cargo will be serums, vaccines, and blood transfusions that he cannot obtain there under normal circumstances. The chain of storms that you flew threw yesterday has slowed normal supply routes significantly."

"There are people who need these there immediately then?" At his nod, I sighed. I still needed a map, it wasn't yet 8am, and if I rushed the shopping that I intended to do, then maybe I could be off the ground by 2pm. I could fly all night if necessary.

"I'll need to check my plane, shop for some basic supplies, and make a flight plan, so have your couriers ready to meet me by 2pm at the airport. That is only if my plane is fixed and airworthy. All the items you mentioned, they will be packed appropriately in ice, correct?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't seem angered by me, it seemed more like he was slightly confused by something. "Now for payment. As is customary, Shinra will pay for your plane to be refueled in Mideel. As for reimbursement of the pilot, would 10,000 gil be sufficient?"

'100 bucks? Is this guy serious?' "Ordinarily no. Normally I'd charge extra for last minute charters like this one, but seeing as how I do probably owe Shinra something for their swift actions last night, I will accept this." Internally I was cheering. Sure the money offered wasn't much, in fact it was miserable pay, but it meant that I'd be able to support myself and AVALANCHE better once the actual events of the game started.

Tseng actually smiled then, though it didn't reach his eyes. He was oddly weary of me, though I believe he could tell that I was no threat as a fighter. Sure I'm short and thin, and I've taken years of various martial arts, but I never truly focused on any one of them in particular, I never mastered anything. I was not a danger to a full-fledged Turk, and he and I both knew it.

"You'll receive payment upon your arrival in Mideel." Finished with our deal, Tseng took his leave, Rude nodding to me before turning and heading for the door as well, obviously intending that I follow him.

Grabbing my breakfast from the table, I added one more item to my mental shopping list: energy drinks of some sort. I had a feeling I was going to need them.

zzzzzzzzzz

"What kind of supplies do you require?" Rude asked as we pulled away from Shinra.

Good old Rude, probably trying to save time by finding out what I need so he can either take me there directly, arrange something, or give me directions to a shop.

"Food and medicine mostly, I also intended to look into the possibility of getting a basic fire materia since that would spare me the inconvenience of matches on nights when I have to camp out and it's a good pervert discourager. Energy drinks."

Rude nodded then pulled out his phone and arranged for someone from the airport to give me directions to local shops.

The airport was actually only a half a mile away from where I landed, right along the outer edge of the plate. The reason I hadn't seen it the night before was because they had shutdown the lights of the airport; they hadn't expected anyone to be crazy enough to fly through that storm. The technicians were quick to jump at me as soon as they realized I was the pilot, all three of them. They explained that the voltage regulator had indeed saved the radio and it had just needed to be reset and checked, the antennae on the other hand, had to be replaced. There were several scorch marks from lightning, but they were of no consequence. All in all, no lasting damage.

I jumped into my bird happily, eager to start this guy up and see how well he ran.

Starting the engines proved to be no problem, they both started just as easily as they always did. Setting the parking brake, I cycled both engines, bringing the RPM up to 2000 on one engine, cycling the propeller, leaning the mixture, opening the alternate air, checking for any anomalies before bringing reducing the RPM to 1000 and repeating the process with the other engine. Having both engines checked, I turned my attention on the radio, cycling through all frequencies once, calling the techs over their personal frequency to check radio clarity, both in transmission and reception. Everything checked out just fine.

Grinning, I jumped out of the plane, tied him down, and then entered the small private terminal. I picked up two aviator maps that would allow me to plan the flight to Mideel, surprisingly Banora was noted on them. I also checked Avgas prices and winced. 30,000 gil wouldn't have been enough to completely refuel my plane, no wonder air travel wasn't more common on Gaia. Not at 1000 gil a gallon. Man, I wouldn't have even driven my car if gas was $10 a gallon, I'd have either car pooled or ridden a bike every day. Looks like after Zack was safely in Midgar, as much as I hated to admit this, my plane would have to be grounded unless something profound happened.

Shoving the maps into my backpack, I asked for the map that Rude had had them prepare for me and was glad to find that I was in sector 5. There was a train that could take me to the slums where several more stores were listed, as well as a note that what I needed could be purchased there at much cheaper prices.

I didn't even bother checking the stores on the plate, opting instead to head straight for the train. I really wanted to see the plate system, and I kind of hoped to get a glimpse of Aeris.

The train wasn't what I expected, which was noisy and slightly crowded. Instead it was pretty empty, just three other passengers and myself. The train also wasn't like the subway or the monorail or any other similar form of transport that I had ever been on, it bucked, swayed, and had moments when I was certain that it was attempting to jump off of the tracks. I grinned like an idiot until the train came to a stop in the slum, my face almost pressed against the glass.

The Sector 5 slum can be described as thus, though Crisis Core came close, none of the games really did the place justice. The buildings were ramshackle and looked ready to be condemned about ten years previous. Garbage was everywhere. Though some people made an obvious effort to bathe themselves, they were few and far between.

I didn't shop for any food or water, but I did buy five potions, one phoenix down, two antidotes, a Titan Bangle, two grenades, and a Fire and a Restore materia. Grand total spent: 2500 gil.

Unable to wait, after boarding the train back to the plate, I equipped the materia into the slots of the bangle and latched it to my right wrist, finding an odd sort of comfort in the weight of this odd bracelet. I'd be getting to Banora long before Zack, so I could practice with these, though I severely doubted that I would get one them leveled before returning to Midgar; I wasn't going to just go looking for fights after all.

Prices on the plate were hair-raising; I almost headed back to the train to buy food in the slums. I stopped myself by reminding myself of the state of conditions down there. I spent another 5000 gil on food and water alone, mostly dried and canned products with several candies I saw, though none looked familiar. The cashier told me they tasted like berries though and were very popular. The nice thing in all of this: I got a free can opener because of a promotion they were having.

I dragged my supplies back to the airport, the groceries by far the heaviest, and loaded them into the plane, then grabbed the takeout box of my remainders from breakfast. Lunch was a biscuit, some fruit slices, and water from the fountain. I made my flight plan as I ate, first calculating the distance, then choosing waypoints that I could easily see from the air and deciding on an altitude. Calculated speed, fuel burn, and estimated time enroute.

I finished right at 1:34pm, right as a Shinra truck pulled up.

The cargo was three ice chests, sealed and locked. The men helped me load the chests into the airplane, then asked when I would arrive in Mideel.

Glancing at my watch, which I had reset for local time, I replied that if I took off in the next ten minutes, I'd be in Mideel at around 7:10 that night.

They nodded and departed; I jumped into my aircraft and began start up procedures. Not even eight minutes later, I had completed the checklists all the way through the before take-off run-up and was ready to go. Ground control had given me my clearance and taxied me to the runway hold short. A minute later, I was in the air again, in clear blue skies.

The forecast for that day had not predicted any problems, so the flight should be a smooth one. I just hoped that my plan to save Zack went smoothly as well.


	3. Chapter 3

SA: So, finally going to be meeting some of the characters?

Zas: (grins) Finally some ZACK!

Tori: Does someone have a crush?

Saria, SA, and Tori: (all howl with laughter while Zas chokes)

zzzzzzzzzzz

For me, flight has always been something special, a wondrous experience where I can escape the rest of the world. Dodging through the clouds, experiencing some of the furiousness of weather first hand, the sunrise and sunset from the point of view of a bird. This time seemed better than any other; I was flying through the sky of an alien world, passing over a low mountain range, then flat grasslands that gave way to the ocean. Right as the bright sun was setting, the island for Mideel came into sight, and as the last light began to fade, I landed on the gravel path that served as the runway.

True to what Tseng had told me, the doctor was there, ready to receive the shipment. A Shinra representative was also there with my promised pay.

Seeing as how there was just the two of them, three chests, and no truck, I helped carry the last chest through the short jungle path to the village proper.

Mideel was actually a very charming place, in the very simple kind of way. Almost all of the buildings were made of wood and the air smelled slightly of sulfur due to the hot springs. I also felt something else, like a pulse in the ground.

Upon reaching the clinic, the doctor thanked both the Shinra rep and myself for our assistance, then began to open the boxes, organizing all the materials. I was turning to leave when the nurse approached and asked if I would like any supper since she had made extra.

"Thank you," I replied, accepting her invitation. It would be an excellent time to gather some information as well as have a hot meal.

"Do you guys have these shipments often?" I asked as the nurse, who introduced herself as Misha, prepared a simple plate of rice, chicken, and steamed vegetables.

"Not too often, and almost never by plane. Pilots are usually old, and the majority of them are retired anymore. You're the youngest I've ever seen actually. And the only woman at that."

'Most pilots are retired?' My brain screamed. I didn't understand how something like that could happen. Even if fuel was expensive, there was always a way to learn how to fly. What could possibly lead to this sort of imbalance? I took a bite of the rice and discovered that it tasted faintly sweet.

Misha must have noticed my confusion, and explained further.

"The price of fuel makes flying, especially learning how to fly, for the most part impractical. You must have gotten very lucky. About the only way to learn anymore is within Shinra, and they focus mostly on helicopters."

"I did get lucky," I responded. "Met someone who trained me on the go, and did an excellent job of it. He claimed that back in the day he used to have more people clambering to learn how to fly than he could ever hope to train." I took several more bites of the food, switching between the veggies, the chicken, and the rice. All of them tasted so… different than food on Earth. More vivid, even the rice.

"Most young people these days dream of stardom, of becoming something like Sephiroth, the great former general."

I snorted a bit at the last part; one must wonder what the masses will think once it gets out that their idol went bat-shit insane. Still, that they would even abandon a career path such as piloting…

"Some people need a serious reality check," I stated as I finished off my plate. "Not everyone can be a warrior, just like not everyone can be a doctor or a pilot."

"I will concur with that statement," the doctor declared as he entered the room. "Too many forget that it takes all types to keep the world rolling. But too many will abandon what they are good at, what they love, in the hopes of glory, money, and power. Now, is there anything else we can get you?"

"Would you tell me what was in those boxes? I'm dying of curiosity," I joked.

"We recently had a malaria scare, and since several Shinra Executives plan to vacation here and are expected to arrive in the next several days, they wanted to insure that we had everything we needed for prevention of the disease. Speaking of which…"

I groaned as the doctor brought in a tray with three prepared syringes.

zzzzzzzzzz

I slept in my plane that night, and though I had no blankets or pillows unless I counted the cargo net, I slept infinitely better than I had the night before in the Shinra building.

Morning dawned bright and early, and I was awake before the alarm on my watch went off. A quick preflight later, and I pulled out the maps, checking the distance between here and Banora. The flight itself should only take ten minutes, at longest. The problem looked like it would be in just landing. The area was surrounded by bluffs, and only had one apparent road in.

Growling, I threw the maps down in my passenger seat. These weren't going to be of much help, not until I returned to Midgar at least.

I set the parking brake as usual then cranked the engines for my bird. A quick run-up later, and I taxied to the "runway" of Mideel. Since the field was not a towered one, I didn't have to request take-off clearance, I just announced to the general frequency that I was taking off and did so. I didn't bother to climb high, that would just waste fuel. I buzzed over the forest, which quickly gave way to bluffs, and six minutes after take-off, I beheld the ruin of Banora. It was an amazing sight, and since I knew I had a few days yet, I was definitely going to be taking a closer look.

After another minute or two of circling, I decided on a place to land. It was a small field, just off the road, but it would provide adequate cover and allow me to hopefully catch Zack before he left.

Landing on the grass field, I took extra care with the landing gear, making my landing as gentle as possible. I didn't need the gear to get stuck on soft ground.

Rolling to the end of the field, I parked on a firm looking area under some trees. Hopefully no winged men would notice it here.

Grabbing my backpack, I pulled out various items that I didn't think I'd need at all, such as my extra clothes, shampoo and conditioner, soap, my Kindle, and various other small items. I did place a bag of jerky and some dried apple chips in the bag. I also grabbed two bottles of water. My knives I put in my pockets.

Jumping out of my plane, I jogged to the road and towards Banora. I wasn't that far, only about three-quarters of a mile from the bluffed entrance, and a few minutes later I found myself staring at the crater that was formerly a town. The raw mako that filled the crater reminded me of the fluid in green glow sticks; it looked as if it flowed like water, and the smell wasn't bad.

A strange pull then struck me, almost like a call, and as I glanced around, I found myself drawn towards the underground entrance.

I was NOT going in there, not unless I was with a fully armed and equipped Zack or his equivalent. But even as I resisted, the pull became stronger, and despite myself, I was walking straight into the underground.

'What could be causing this?' my thoughts screamed, even as the pull became words, words saying, "_Come, I called,_ _answer_".

"Déjà vu," I murmured, but now my own curiosity was peaked. I followed the pull willingly now, though I did hesitate at the sight of the first monster I encountered. Luckily though, this monster either didn't see me, or wasn't interested in me. As I continued on through the chambers, I noticed that that seemed consistent of all the monsters here. None of them attacked me; they didn't even look at me.

Eventually I found myself before the Goddess Gate; the pull had brought me here. It was wrong though, the gate was open, and I knew that Zack wasn't here yet. The Goddess materia were not on the podium. Yet the light, it called to me, and I found myself drawn towards it.

The light in my cockpit! This light felt exactly like that light did, except this light is much stronger. This could be the answer of how I got here!

I stepped straight into the light then, I needed to know why I was here, who it was that brought me, and I prayed to every god I could think of that it wasn't Genesis.

My prayers seemed to be answered as my vision cleared of the light and I was standing in the area where Genesis met the Goddess. And there she was, in all her glory, even the odd and elaborate armor that covered her form, the crown over her blond hair. She was the spitting image of the Goddess in the game, except she was before me.

'_I called, you answered,'_ a disembodied voice rang out, filling the entire space.

"Why was I brought here?" I demanded, at the moment not caring to be polite.

'_You are intelligent, and your heart is in the right place. I believe you know that I want my final beloved child to be kept safe."_

"What you want is a fighter. I'm a lot of things, but not a fighter. I couldn't protect her from more than a few small monsters, let alone Turks, or better yet, Sephiroth."

'_Not a fighter, I've plenty of those, plenty of WEAPONS. She needs a guardian, a being that will protect her, mentally as well as physically.'_

I stiffened at her words, but understood them. I was already protecting Aeris, I hadn't even met her yet but already I was trying to protect her by saving someone she cared for. But I didn't just want to save Aeris; it was many that I intended to help.

'_You want to help more than just her though; you want to help as many of my innocent children as you can. That makes you the perfect choice.'_

"Why me though? There are plenty of decent people who would have done their best to fulfill your expectations!" The area around almost seemed to sigh.

'_You never noticed, did you? Why does this world feel so different to you, more alive? Have you noticed that the food is different as well?'_

I nodded, wondering how she could possibly know that.

'_Long ago, your planet experienced the same ancient phenomenon as this world experienced. Your world survived, as I did, but the lifestream was so depleted that the planet fell into a deep slumber, a coma from which it will never awaken. So though your world survived, life capable of continuing, it was no longer a blessed life. The Cetra of your world continued, though no longer able to hear the planet, and eventually magic was forgotten, became fiction.'_

I froze, my mind flashing through cultures that I could think of that could possibly be related to Cetra. Definitely Native Americans, possibly the druids of ancient Celtic culture, Vikings, Wiccans… There were quite a few possibilities, and I was descended of more than a few of them.

"Blood," I murmured. "You chose blood, a person that was my planet's version of a Cetra!"

'_A Cetra who also embodied the principles of my Cetra. Hardworking, loving nature in one way or another, and always searching for something more, for their paradise. A guardian and friend for my last child who could also help in rebuilding a small portion of the old culture. A child of mine through adoption.'_

"A humongous walking talking TARGET!" I screamed, shaking as full realization hit me. Gaia had brought me here, and she had no intent of letting me go. And I wouldn't just sit idle and let Zack and Aeris die, not even after this blow. I was too decent of a person to not do something if I knew that something was going to happen. And I wouldn't leave things to chance either, I would follow them every step of the journey if I had to. Gaia was counting on that. In turn, if I revealed myself to anyone, there was the very real possibility that Sephiroth would try to kill me also, and Shinra might aim for me as well.

'_Think of how happy Aeris would be, to no longer be alone as the only Cetra,' _the voice spoke.

"She'd be trying to protect the other Cetra, the one who might have future knowledge that could be voided at any point because of the survival of her and Zack. The one who came here from a comatose planet and has never learned any magic or skills customary of a Cetra," I argued.

Silence reigned for a moment, and then Gaia spoke again.

'_I will give you the skills of one type of warrior from your world, fictional or real. Choose well, because I will not allow for you to change your mind later on. I will also not allow a silly choice, such as those Superman or Spiderman heroes. As for your magic, you will learn that quickly enough.'_

I can't say that I was at all pleased, but I couldn't pass up this opportunity. I was stuck; I couldn't just knowingly let people die, and I wouldn't last long without some form of skill. I was frustrated as I mentally ticked of anime after anime, game after game, trying to think of one type of warrior that would suit me, especially if I really was a Cetra. A Naruto ninja wouldn't fly no matter how I looked at it, I didn't know the hand-signs, and even if I did, Gaia would probably view the jutsus as silly. Bleach was out of question for the same reasons, Gundam- yeah right, where was I going to stick a huge mobile suit? Kingdom hearts was too similar to this. Link from Legend of Zelda was a possibility, but I wouldn't make that my first choice. Harry Potter would require wands, incantations, and years of practice, plus I think that although it was technically magic, Gaia would view it as ridiculous. Assassin's Creed was simply a no; I am about as much an assassin as President Shinra is a humble, pleasant, and generous individual. The stealth I like though.

Frustration finally caught up to me and I set my backpack on the ground, sitting next to it, suppressing the urge to kick something. Instead I opened my pack, intent to grab the jerky I had packed only for my hand to touch my books. Why did I bring these anyway? Yanking them out, I started reading the titles, desperate for an idea.

'Crank, useless,' I thought, as I shoved the book back into my bag. The next book was Genji, and it went right back into my bag as well. The last book caused me to freeze altogether. Jedi Healer.

A Jedi? The thought stuck almost instantly, and the more I thought of it, the better it seemed. Weapon abilities, force push, the Jedi Mind trick, foresight; an arsenal of abilities that could be performed without large flashes and bangs, and the foresight; no matter how much I changed the storyline by saving Aeris and Zack, I should have a running idea of what was to come! I'd have to remember though that the future could always change.

'_You seem to have come to a decision,'_ Gaia's voice rang out.

"A Jedi, make me a Jedi. And realize that when all of this is finished, I'll be back."

A humming noise filled the air, and I had a feeling that Gaia was laughing at me in her own way.

"You might be able to bring and keep me here, but I don't have to like it. I don't have to help in your grand vision."

'_Very well then,'_ was the response I received. _'Fulfill your promise that you made when you first realized you were in this world. Protect Aeris and save as many lives as you can, and when you return, we will negotiate.'_

As her voice faded, the green of the lifestream that filled the area became more brilliant, and the stream seemed to rise, flowing over and through me like a ghostly stream. My head began to ache again, but as it did, I felt new knowledge begin to take root in my head. Knowledge on how to wield a saber, meditation, calling forth the force to cloud minds, healing… The list went on and on.

The green was now bleaching out into that brilliant white light, and my vision faded.

zzzzzzzzzz

My watch indicated it was mid-afternoon when I woke. At first I thought that the underground was just a vivid dream, but when I looked down at my hands, I found a single piece of parchment was being held in one. On it was written: _Think well upon this, as you did when you chose your power. You may find that you will prefer your life here._

I crumbled the parchment up and hopped out of my plane, deciding then was as good a time as any to learn to work with my fire materia.

I concentrated on the fire materia in my bangle, hoping to be able to activate it. I felt nothing. No warmth, no burning, nada.

Groaning, I focused singularly on the materia. I thought of fire, the way orange flames danced, the heat that radiated from it, how the paper I held would blacken and crumble as it burned…

"HOT!" I shrieked as I threw the burning paper away, waving my hand wildly. Note to self in the future: don't hold anything flammable while trying to cast fire.

Around me, I swear I heard faint laughter.

My hand was slightly burned, nothing serious, but annoying. Perfect time to try the Restore materia. I focused on the Restore, of healing energy surrounding my hand, like cool, refreshing water. I was thrilled when I saw the green healing energy surround my hand. Though the spell was weak, my hand was healed.

Speaking of weak though, a part of me that I'd never really been aware of felt exhausted. Not surprising, at the very beginning of the journey the characters didn't have mana enough to cast more than a few times. I came from a world without magic, so I had even less of an opportunity to stretch those particular muscles.

The thought of my world caused my breath to hitch a bit, would I ever see it again? I may be 25, but the only reason I'm not screaming and crying at the moment and hadn't had a break down yet was because I was a professionally trained pilot. I was trained to not let anyone know when I was scared or upset, mainly because if passengers saw an upset or scared pilot, they were prone to become upset and scared themselves which led to a much worse situation involving panic.

Currently though, I'm alone, scared, angry, and human. And that fallen log that I spied next to my plane looked like a very good way to relieve some stress. I stomped over to the log, reared back my leg and kicked once, twice, three times, and just continued. I lost count of how many times I kicked that log, but at one point I switched kicking feet. When I finally felt like I was finished, both of my feet ached, I was very hungry, and my aching head felt ready to explode.

Reaching into the plane, I pulled out a can of chicken and vegetable stir-fry and the can opener. Luckily the can was intended for this use, so a plastic spork was included.

After eating, unable to think of anything else to do, I poked around with the information in my head for Jedi abilities. The first thing that came to me was meditation. Through meditation a Jedi would be more in touch with the world around them, they could see the future, the past, and across great distances.

I focused on my first target, on Zack. I needed to know where he was and when he would arrive here. Relaxing wasn't easy, but I slowly did manage to let everything go, directing my vision.

It was disconcerting to say the least. I saw Zack, but the image wavered, almost like I was looking through mist or steam. A jungle, he had just arrived in a jungle area, and was looking back at a destroyed reactor. Gongaga. Zack was in Gongaga currently, if I was correct.

I directed my thoughts to his future, his future in the next few days. I saw him working to cross the ocean, riding that motorcycle, arriving at the ruins of Banora. During that length of the vision, the sun rose three times.

Three days. I would have two days to practice my abilities without fear of observers. Two days to practice with the materia and Jedi skills such as levitation. Two days to develop myself as a Jedi Cetra, not a target.

zzzzzzzzzz

Two days could never be called a lot of time, and two days to make up for a lifetime of practice and knowledge is insane. But it was what I had, and I had forced myself to learn to fly new planes in less time.

I started the mornings with breakfast and started immediately after with my training. I started by forming as many fire balls as I could, healing myself whenever I had a mishap and I had quite a few at the beginning. I did this after each meal.

After wards, I would turn to the Force. I meditated, called the Force around me, used it to levitate myself and various items around the field, even my plane once.

I also tried to see how the Force would enhance my performance in a physical sense. I ran as hard as I could, but aside from knowing the best paths to take, I wasn't faster. I wasn't stronger either, and the Force was very silent when I practiced the combat forms with my knives.

I was banking on real life here being similar to my planet, your muscles got stronger with use, and I saw improvements with my magic capacity by the end of the second day, I could use four spells at a time instead of just two.

My Force abilities were coming along so long as my concentration wasn't broken. I really need to focus for levitation to work. It became easier with practice as well, but nowhere near as quickly as my magic did.

Little by little, I also began to hear the planet as well. Just murmurs at the moment, sometimes the silence would go for hours before a murmur that I didn't understand rose. I wondered how long this would last. Would I ever hear the planet freely? I think I would go crazy if I heard that all the time.

Sitting on the wing of my plane on that third morning, after days of silence, I burst out laughing as an image of me running through the streets of town, screaming "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

It felt good to laugh, no matter how lame the joke, even if I was the essential butt of it.

I clammed up very quickly though when I heard a mechanical whine coming from the road. Jumping from my plane, I dashed over to the road, right in time to spy Zack speed by on that Shinra motorcycle. The bike already sounded like it needed to be seen by a mechanic; hopefully he'd be happy for a change in venue.

Target was in sight, now I just needed to wait.

Sliding behind a tree, I focused through the Force. I watched Zack through the mists as he entered the Banora Underground. How he fought the monsters and collected the Goddess materia.

I was pulled out of my vision by the sound of many running feet, and glanced from behind the tree to spy the Shinra Army as they rushed past, intent to engage Zack. It was sad, but I couldn't do anything for Lazard or Angeal. They were dying as it was, and my interference wouldn't change that.

Slipping back into my meditation, I followed Zack's progress, watching him finally place the materia and enter the Goddess's domain. His fight with Genesis was short and very brutal in real life, Genesis was so far degraded that most of his strength was gone, and Zack was out of shape due to being confined to a lab for years.

I pulled out of my meditation and started walking up the road as soon as Zack finished dragging Genesis out of the Underground.

I heard the squeaky roar of a soon-to-break motorcycle start up, and reached out with the Force, aimed at the fuel lines of the bike. The roar continued for a few seconds longer, then the choking began followed by the dying of an engine.

"MAN!" Zack yelled, not that I blamed his frustration. He had a comatose friend, was miles away from anywhere, and the likelihood of waving down a ride was remote.

"You guys ok?" I called out as I approached the pair.

Zack jumped up at the sound of my voice and stared at me for a minute, before jumping off his bike.

"What are you doing way out here?" He asked. "Would you happen to have a truck?"

"Is he alright?" I asked as I crouched next to the comatose Cloud. Pushing slightly with the Force, I found I dared not try to heal his mind. Jenova was there, and I couldn't expose myself to her. Cloud was going to have to pull himself out of this.

"He got really badly hurt a while ago, he should recover. Do you have a truck? Can you get us to a town?"

I shook my head at Zack's question. "I don't have a truck, I have a plane though. I just set down for a moment to stretch my legs. I'm heading to Midgar but I can drop you off at a town along the way. I'd suggest getting as close to your destination as you can though, for some reason or another Shinra is shutting down all the roads."

Zack started bouncing the moment I said I had a plane, jumping when I said Midgar, and stopped abruptly when I mentioned Shinra.

"Could you fit both of us? All the way to Midgar?" He looked excited again.

"Sure, no problem at all," I responded and was promptly pounced on and hugged by Zack. No surprise I fell because of his weight.

"Where is the plane? Is it far?" Zack was bouncing again as he jumped up and ran to pull Cloud out of the motorcycle.

"Up the road just a little ways. What's your name by the way?"

"I'm Zack! This here is Cloud," Zack explained as he hauled Cloud up, draping one arm over his shoulders. I noticed his cuts then and the slight shaking of his limbs. After all he had been through, Zack had to be exhausted.

"I'm Rachas," I offered as I stepped up to Cloud's other side and grabbed his other arm. Short as I was, I could still take some of his weight off of Zack.

Zack grinned at my gesture, and then the three of us made our way down the road. It was a little slow going, and Zack didn't talk too much, but twenty minutes later Cloud was situated in the cargo area of my plane, the Buster Sword wrapped in the cargo net, blade facing away from him. Zack was sitting in the passenger seat, wolfing down the jerky and water that I had offered. I had just finished the preflight; my flight plan had been made the day before, and was currently starting the engines.

A quick run-up later and we were ready to go. Situating myself at the beginning of the field, I lowered the flaps for an extra bit of lift and began the roll out, barely clearing the trees at other end of the field. And almost striking the helicopter that was departing Banora.

'SHIT!' I screamed mentally, remembering how at the end of Crisis Core Genesis was taken by Deep Ground. President Shinra was going to know very soon that there was at least one witness.

"Shinra."

I barely heard Zack in the next seat, but as I continued to climb, raising the flaps then retracting the landing gear, I glanced over at him and noticed how tense he appeared.

"Are they the ones who did that?" I asked as I glanced back in Cloud's direction.

Zack seemed to tense even more at my comment.

"You can relax; I personally have no love of Shinra. I will give you an oath signed in my blood if you need proof of that." Feeling a change in topic was needed, I asked my next question, though I already knew the answer. "So, who's waiting for you in Midgar?"

Zack's eyes brightened instantly and he began to talk about the angel that he had promised to return to in a church in the Sector 5 slums.

I didn't know how familiar Zack was with aircraft, but I used his distraction as a time to increase power to the engines. We'd arrive in Midgar without any extra fuel, but in four hours time instead of five. I was banking on there being a rush hour at 5pm that would make it easier for all of us to slip away. I also hoped that the Turks would still be away on their final missions from Before Crisis.

Zack dozed after talking about Aeris, but woke up when we were less than thirty minutes from Midgar, right in time to see the Shinra infantry overrun the roads surrounding Midgar.

"Man, lucky break we ran into you," he murmured as we soared over the cliffs.

"Yeah, very lucky," I murmured, even as mentally I said my goodbyes to my plane. The chopper would have my tail number, I'm certain of that. I'd have to abandon my plane.

"There's the airport!" I announced as I got in touch with Midgar's tower. There was no traffic, so I was cleared for immediate landing. Landing was rushed, and I got to the parking ramp as fast as I dared. I hadn't even shut down the engines before Zack jumped from the plane, bouncing excitedly as he ran to the cargo door, pulled out his sword and grabbed Cloud while I gathered my own things as well. I jumped out and tied down the aircraft as Zack situated Cloud for movement.

Wedging myself under Cloud's other side, I once again helped Zack carry him, this time across the ramp and through the private terminal. I looked back only once, whispering one last farewell to my beloved plane, it had served me well.

The security guard at the exit asked if everything was ok, I answered that my brother just had serious motion sickness; we were just helping him out.

"Why are you still helping me?" he asked as we moved as quickly as we could through the streets.

"Shinra is after you, correct? We almost hit a Shinra chopper while departing Banora. They are certain to have taken down my tail number."

"Sorry," he said as we entered the train station and found ourselves lucky enough to already see a train waiting, about to depart.

"Don't be, people are more important than a plane. Though I will miss the sky…" I took one last long look at said sky as we boarded the train, and one last look in the direction of the airport, and despite my near iron-clad control, I felt tears form. That plane was my home, as was the sky, and I was going to miss them.

We settled Cloud into a seat between us, and Zack began bouncing again, a huge grin on his face as the train descended below the plate and the slums came into view. As soon as the doors of the train opened, he was charging out, and I came to fully understand the strength of SOLDIER as I was almost dragged through the slum's marketplace by him, out the gates, and full speed toward a church.

"Zack, stop!" I exclaimed as we reached the doors of the church. "Do you really want to go charging in there carrying both of us?" I demanded, indicating Cloud and myself.

Zack seemed to think for a moment, then threw open the door, dragging all of us in, then released Cloud and me.

I gasped, barely keeping my balance as Cloud's full weight fell upon me and reached out for the Force almost automatically, levitating Cloud just slightly. Then I looked up at the scene before me.

Aeris stood, surrounded by her flowers, a beam of light from the fading sun shining upon her from a hole in the wall of the church. Then she turned, seeing us, her eyes instantly latching onto Zack.

Zack walked to the edge of the flower bed; I could almost see the smile on his face as his hand came up to the back of his head.

"Hey, I'm back!" He managed to say but got no further as Aeris launched herself at him, hugging him tightly.


	4. Chapter 4

Saria: Well, not much of a following, but I like how this story is developing!

Zas: (gives Saria the look) It's insane.

Saria: It's different. So many times the self-insert is enabled by Jenova, but for the planet to bring the new person in is something I thought I'd explore.

Tori: Can't raise the dead, so why not grab the equivalent of a Cetra from a planet that is all but dead?

SA: Why a Jedi though?

Saria: Because I'm trying to be true about myself, and though I can and will fight if push comes to shove, it is a last resort for me. Jedi are typically the same.

zzzzzzzzzz

Aeris and Zack talked long into the night, catching up on what had happened. For most of it I allowed the happy couple to have their private time. I sat near the church entrance with Cloud, who was beginning to shift and groan, and used the time to summon pebbles to my hand.

My earlier use of the Force to steady myself and levitate Cloud had surprised me; I usually needed to concentrate a lot more to do anything. Even now I had to use a fair amount of effort to call these pebbles. Maybe I was forcing this too much. The Force was supposed to be the energy that connected all life… How insanely similar to the Lifestream now that I think about it.

The crunch of footsteps alerted me to the approach of Zack and Aeris, so I dropped the last pebble and glanced up at them.

"These are the two I told you about. This is Cloud, who I escaped the lab with, and Rachas who saved us by flying us to Midgar."

Aeris finally turned to look at us during Zack's introduction, I stood up to make her aquaintance. Then Aeris and I made eye contact for the first time.

_(Aeris pov)_

Zack was finally back, true I had known he was coming, the planet had told me earlier that he would make it here safely, but seeing him in the flesh had been a happier moment than I had anticipated.

He apologized continuously for not making it back sooner, and then at my insistence, told me about what happened. He told me about the mission to Nibelheim, Sephiroth finding the basement that contained the research notes and staying down there for days. How when he finally emerged, Sephiroth had been different, declaring himself an Ancient, and then burned Nibelheim to the ground. Then how he followed Sephiroth to the reactor where he and Cloud finally stopped the possessed man. He didn't remember much after that, but he knew that he and Cloud were captured and kept in the laboratory of Hojo. He didn't remember much until his escape with Cloud, and then they were running from Shinra but still needed to stop a mad man. He told me about Banora, and how he finally, truly lost Lazard and Angeal. Then, right as his bike broke, he met the savior who finally got them to Midgar and probably lost everything in doing so.

It was a long story, but I wanted to hear it, and I found it flattering that after all that he had been through; I was still such an important person to him.

"Come on, I want you to meet them!" Zack exclaimed as he jumped to his feet, and pulled me up as well. As we walked toward the entrance, I studied him. How could someone who had been through so much still be so kind? How did Zack remain himself?

"These are the two I told you about. This is Cloud, who I escaped the lab with, and Rachas who saved us by flying us to Midgar," Zack announced as the young woman, who I assumed was Rachas, climbed to her feet.

Then our eyes met, and I knew. This woman was an Ancient, just like me.

_(Normal pov)_

To me Aeris looked as though she wanted to pinch herself, and I knew that she could tell.

"Pleased to meet you," I said, feeling a smile pull at my lips. The game always portrayed her as a very sweet person, though a bit on the cutesy side.

"You as well," she stated, then reached out and grabbed my hand. I think she wanted to insure that I was real since this wasn't the hand shaking way of grabbing a hand. She almost seemed to be studying my hand.

"Do you guys have a place to stay yet?" Aeris asked suddenly, dropping my hand and looking between Zack and myself.

"No," Zack answered before I could say anything.

"Then you can come to my place! We can catch up, exchange stories; you have to see the garden I planted!" Aeris looked more excited by the second.

"I don't think that is a good idea," I stated. "At the very least Zack and Cloud are on the run, and I'm pretty certain that I'm going to be a wanted person as well. We don't want you to get in trouble for harboring fugitives."

Aeris froze for a moment, considering what I had said. She was slow to nod, showing that she understood even if she didn't like the simple facts.

"As soon as we figure something permanent out, we'll have to arrange some way to meet again," I added in a hopeful tone. Aeris also seemed to brighten a bit at my suggestion.

We all departed from the church after that agreement. Zack took up his post again on Cloud's other side, and we walked back towards the gate of the Sector 5 market. Aeris split from our group there, supposedly. The Force and a faint whisper from the planet alerted me that she was actually following us as we crossed the playground and then tried to figure out which way to go: to Sector 7 or to Wall Market.

Both areas had their benefits, just as both had their cons. Sector 7 was smaller than Wall Street, fewer people, but saw a lot less Shinra personnel. Wall Street was a lot easier to get lost in, but as opposed to Sector 7, saw much more of Shinra.

Zack and I argued for a few minutes before we agreed to an impasse, we would stay in Wall Street tonight then move to Sector 7 tomorrow.

If necessary, we would move to a different Sector every night. I was banking on us not needing to move again after tomorrow.

"So," Zack started as we moved down the path towards Wall Market. "I'm planning on becoming a mercenary, Cloud and me both. What are you going to do?"

I shrugged as we turned down the one bend in the road that I remembered from the game. "I've got several marketable skills other than piloting, such as healing."

"Any weapon skills?"

"Some, only weapons I've ever really used are knives," I replied. "Inn right ahead, on the left." It definitely looked like the inn that you could stay in during the game.

Zack followed my gaze then nodded, and behind us I sensed Aeris begin to head home. I had a feeling that we would see her again tomorrow.

"How about you join my mercenary group for a while, just until you find something else?" Zack asked right as we reached the entrance.

"Give me the night to think about it." Internally I was bouncing slightly. Sure things were going a bit slower than I had thought they would, but it seemed as though I would have no trouble in joining the group. "Hey, how much for a room for the night?" I called to the innkeeper.

"10 gil a night per person," he responded. I nodded then pulled out a hundred gil note, paying for all of us for the night. I accepted the 70 gil that was my change while Zack picked up the keys that were tossed over the counter with a half hearted "Enjoy your stay" from the clerk.

Cloud jerked, almost stood, then slumped again as we headed toward the room number engraved on the key.

"This guy is getting a bit more energetic," I joked as we reached the room. Zack tried to grin at my lame joke, but I could tell that he was starting to wear down.

Zack opened the door and we dragged Cloud in and tucked him into one of the three beds. Afterwards, I grabbed my backpack and visited the bathroom. I had been away from civilization for over three days, I desperately needed a shower. The sight of a toilet alone put me in a better mood; the toilet paper sent me into euphoria.

The water available for the shower was little more than a tepid trickle, but I welcomed it and scrubbed myself as best I could. I also really needed to either get my clothes cleaned or buy a new set altogether. I pulled on my pajamas gratefully, brushed my teeth with the last of my travel toothbrushes, and then headed back to the room.

Zack was already in bed when I entered, so I moved towards the last one, obviously intended for me. As I did though, I glanced at Cloud who was beginning to sweat and tremble. I hoped that was an indication that he would wake soon.

zzzzzzzzzz

I woke before Zack the next morning and dressed right away. Before I departed, I scribbled a quick note telling Zack that I was stepping out for some supplies and would be back soon with breakfast.

I departed the inn quietly and just as I knew she would be, Aeris was waiting in a nearby alley.

"We can talk," I told her as I continued down the dirt road, her falling into step with me. All around us were various stores, eateries, bars, and clubs. Neon lights were everywhere; loud music assaulted my ears despite it being early morning, and odors of everything from perfume, to food, to sweat and oil tickled at my nose.

"Are you like me, are you an Ancient?" She could be very direct when she wanted to be.

"Cetra Aeris, Cetra. Ancient is what Shinra calls a Cetra," I replied. Her eyes widened, but I think she understood, I was not denying that I was indeed like her. The hug I received was a warm one; I could feel happiness from her through it.

"I have so many questions! Have you ever met any others? What were your parents like? What is the outside world like? Is the sky as big as I've heard? Rachas, you have to tell me!"

I smiled at her as I pushed through the flap of a clothing shop. I told her all about the sky, of flying through it, watching the ground pass far beneath you, the clouds, flying through rain and snow. I admitted that I had only recently found out that I was a Cetra, but I may have met others without knowing it. Not once did I touch upon the issue of family though. She in turn told me about life under the plate, meeting Zack, her gardens, and her adopted mother. I didn't ask about her real mother.

While we talked, I rifled through the clothes available in the shop, finally selecting a pair of cargo jeans, a black T-shirt, and a green hooded jacket. When I tried them on, I was pleased that none of them hugged my figure, giving a good relaxed fit. Exactly how I preferred my clothing. I purchased the clothes and wore them out.

When we stepped back out onto the street, I noticed that Aeris glanced around and found myself also on the lookout. She was tailed by the Turks after all, and them overhearing anything of what we had said would result in me being in very big trouble, even if I wasn't already in it.

We visited a drugstore next. I was determined to have my hair dyed, even if I needed to resort to using beets or grape juice to do it! Unfortunately, the store only had temporary dyes, and even those were very poorly stocked. My choices were pink, orange, or yellow. I left fully intending to find a fruit or vegetable stall.

Normally I don't enjoy shopping, but talking to Aeris while shopping made it not seem as bad. Thirty minutes had passed since we had met up and I could almost say that I was enjoying myself. I also knew that the clock was ticking and I needed to get breakfast for myself, Zack, and Cloud.

"Aeris, are there any good restaurants around here that you know of that are open for breakfast?" I queried, as my eyes roamed to the various diners and eateries. This seemed like an easy place to end up with either really good food or food poisoning.

"Yes, there is a good place near here. Should we get the boys, Rachas?" she asked, nodding her head towards the inn.

I was divided on the issue, part of me said yes, the other part felt I should grab some takeout and deliver it to Zack and possibly Cloud. Sure we hadn't seen any Turks, but that didn't mean they weren't there.

Both Aeris and I froze when a murmur came from the planet, I couldn't understand it yet, but Aeris must have because she tensed. Realizing that something either had or was happening, I reached out for the Force, trying to figure out what was wrong. I got my answer quickly. A Turk was in the vicinity, and he was meant to be watching Aeris.

Aeris and I looked to one another, both of us understanding what was wrong and said our goodbyes. Neither of us said the others name, and we separated at the next turn, her continuing down the street while I ducked into a bakery.

I watched as Reno sauntered down the street moments later, eyes flashing about as he searched for Aeris. Through the Force I could sense that he only intended to observe, not capture her, so I did nothing. Now was not the time to pick a fight.

Breakfast ended up being bought from that bakery; a couple bagels with some butter and cream cheese packs tossed into the to-go bag and three apple juices.

As I headed back to the inn I did some mental math. The clothes I bought were 130 gil, the bagels and juices were 85 gil. I should have 32,285 gil left at this point. Not too bad, but now I'm starting to worry about the prices of this world. Simply put, they didn't make any sense! I first thought that the Gil might be equal to Yen, but there is no way I should be able to buy clothes, a complete outfit at that, for $1.30! The food also didn't seem right, why would I pay over half the price of new clothes for a couple bagels and juice?

The bakery ended up just being one street over from the inn, and I was back in the room only 45 minutes after departing. Zack was awake when I entered.

"Morning," I greeted. Zack turned mid-stretch and grinned brightly at me, especially when he spied the bag of bagels and the juice.

"Once again you are my savior!" He announced as he hopped over and grabbed two bagels.

I laughed as I grabbed a bagel myself and pulled out the butter and cream cheese. Though I didn't care for cream cheese, I did use some of the butter.

"So Zack, I thought about your offer yesterday," I started as I took a bite from the bagel.

"Well?" Zack asked as he bounced slightly.

"I'll join up; you two need someone to keep you out of trouble."

"Hey! I kept myself out of trouble just fine!" Zack loudly objected.

I laughed, he had done well and I knew it.

"So, the Fair Mercenary Group now has three members!" he announced, hopping onto what had been my bed last night.

"Zack, we need to discuss names," I groaned.

"Zack…" a weak voice murmured.

Both Zack and I jerked our heads in the direction of the still occupied bed. Cloud was finally awake.

zzzzzzzzzz

The three of us departed the inn at around 11am, Cloud was leaning heavily on Zack but he was walking.

It was difficult for him, but when Zack realized that Cloud didn't remember much of anything, he had filled him in on everything. About Hojo's experiments, how although he had never been in SOLDIER, he had all the enhancements and abilities of one. Their escape from the lab, meeting me, and finally making it to Midgar.

Cloud asked several questions, such as if Sephiroth was truly gone, which Zack confirmed, and told Cloud that he was the one who had finished Sephiroth. Cloud then asked if Tifa had really been hurt like he remembered. Zack hadn't said anything, just nodded. Cloud hadn't spoken for a while after that.

"Rachas, I know that what you heard here sounds farfetched, but it is all true. I told Aeris all about it last night."

"I know," I replied. "I've heard rumors about some _very_ disgusting things that Shinra has done."

We were now headed for Sector 7; I hoped that Tifa would run into Cloud today or tomorrow, that should us right to the beginning of the timeline for the game, and things would move quickly enough. I was going to talk to Jessie at the first opportunity I could to find out more about the plate system.

Sector 7 had more shops than what the game depicted, and it looked a bit better maintained than Sector 5 did, but it was still very ramshackle.

We walked around the Sector for several minutes before we located the inn, but before we could enter, there was a yelp behind us as someone stumbled and dropped what sounded like a rather heavy crate.

I turned to see what had happened and almost jumped for joy. It was Tifa!

"Tifa!" Came the voices of Zack and Cloud, relief evident in both of their voices.

She looked up at the sound of her name and stared disbelieving at the two.

"Cloud… Cloud!" Tifa was up within a moment, racing toward Zack and Cloud. "Cloud, is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me Tifa."

"It's been so long."

"Four years," Cloud finished automatically, then glanced at Zack to confirm his faulty memory.

"Hey, remember me?" Zack exclaimed. Tifa looked at him, her eyes widening a bit in recognition. "Glad to see you do! The Fair Mercenaries at your service pretty lady!"

"Zack, I thought I said that we needed to discuss names," I stated.

"You did, that's why I dropped group from the title!" Cloud and I groaned at Zack's lame joke. Tifa on the other hand looked thoughtful.

"You're mercenaries? As in, you don't work for Shinra anymore?" She asked.

"Haven't for a while now. Not since Nibelheim if you really want an exact amount of time," Zack offered.

Tifa nodded and then looked at me. "Are you…"

"This is Rachas, she's with us," Zack filled in.

"Never an employee of Shinra, though I may be in trouble with them for joining these clowns," I added with a grin.

Tifa considered us for a moment, taking each of us in. "I might be able to get some work for you guys," she finally stated.


	5. Chapter 5

Zas: To all readers: let us explain several points, the first of which is that Saria is not a professional writer. All the education she has ever received on writing stories is from school and reading.

Tori: Next point, she is someone who loves reviews!

SA: Her real name isn't Rachas either. That name has been explained.

Saria: Finally, in the words of an author who wrote this long ago, "These aren't my toys, I'm just abusing them!"

zzzzzzzzzz

Tifa departed talk to Barret after telling us that she might have work. Zack informed her that we would be staying at the inn if she wanted to reach us.

Cloud, who after the discussion he had had with Zack that morning had said very little, seemed to relax, relief evident in his entire form.

"She's ok, she's alive," he repeated over and over.

"Yep, and you might get to see more of her soon enough!" Zack pointed out with a grin.

"Old girlfriend?" I asked as I pulled open the door to the inn and allowed Zack and Cloud to enter first.

Cloud shook his head. "Just a friend," the blond swordsman insisted.

Zack and I shared a look, both of us wearing the look of "Like I really believe that." We let it go there though and checked into the inn, like on Wall Market it was only 10 gil per person.

"We have some things that we need to discuss now, as a group," I started as we headed back to where our room should be.

"Like what? Our group has a name already, we all have something to contribute," Zack interjected as he helped Cloud hobble to a bed.

"I am going to go out on a limb and guess that Cloud is a fighter."

"Yeah," both men responded.

"Well, does he have a weapon of choice, or does he just specialize in unarmed combat?" My question obviously threw Zack for a loop, then both he and Cloud confirmed that Cloud in fact didn't have a weapon.

"What about materia? Bangles? Even a pack to be able to carry extra items in?" My questions made Zack think while Cloud looked a bit downtrodden.

"I have some materia that I've picked up since our escape, some gil also. We could take a few jobs and save up to buy a sword for Cloud!"

"So what would you do until then, trade off on who carries the sword every few beasts?" I wasn't being mean, not intentionally at least, and I was glad to see that Zack knew it. "If we're going to be on the same team Zack, remember we all have to work together. Let's see what we have as a group, and maybe we won't have to go on a mission unprepared."

Zack grinned and began to empty his pockets on the bed next to Cloud. Cloud also made a show of checking his pockets; surprisingly he found a note with very neat handwriting that read, "I won't need this anymore". Wrapped inside the note was 2,200 gil. I suspected Lazard probably placed that there while Zack was in the Underground. It would explain how Cloud had the materia and money at the beginning of FFVII.

In the end, piled on the bed were five materia from Zack, two lightnings, an ice, a restore, and a fire materia. He also had about 1,800 gil and a few potions on him. I guess Shinra would have confiscated all of his original materia and money. Cloud had lain down the 2,200 gil. I emptied my own items on the bed, setting down my potions, the phoenix down, the grenades, my fire and restore materia, and the 32,255 gil I still had.

"Well Zack," I said, barely biting back laughter at his gob smacked expression. "I think we should have enough to buy Cloud's equipment with plenty left over."

My comment brought me face-to-face with Zack-the-fish, he still hadn't recovered over the amount of gil I had. "I knew there was a good reason to recruit you…" He said.

"So, we need a sword for Cloud as well as a bangle of some sort for him, Zack, do you need a bangle also?" Zack shook his head so I continued my list. "A pack for carrying items, I think we have materia covered, and I want some better knives for myself."

Zack nodded while Cloud just stared at me.

"Why didn't you come forward right away if you knew that there was enough money to start with?" The chocobo-headed warrior asked.

The question caused Zack to perk and demand, "Yeah, why didn't you?"

"Zack, you were thinking singularly. If we are going to be a team, you need to start thinking like that. I don't know entirely how SOLDIER worked, but you knew I had money and didn't even ask if I was willing to invest in a weapon for Cloud."

Zack looked a bit sheepish, but Cloud still had a look on his face that indicated he didn't think much of my reasoning.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go get Cloud a weapon!" Zack exclaimed.

"Shouldn't Cloud be able to stand and walk on his own first so he'll know which sword is right?" I asked.

"No, he just needs to be able to move his arms. He's a SOLDIER, so weight won't be an issue!" Zack declared proudly. Cloud seemed embarrassed by Zack's words, but also proud.

"Zack, I never made it in the pro-" Cloud started but was cut off by Zack.

"Program, shrogram. You have all the strength of a SOLDIER, and pretty soon Shinra will see exactly what they missed out on."

"Alright then, we'll need to purchase those items, and I think it's a good idea that one person always be in the room until Tifa brings news as to whether or not we have some work."

"Cloud, I thought I asked a pilot to join us, instead I seem to have landed us with an organizer/equipment manager," Zack joked and even I snorted slightly. He was right about one thing, I do have a tendency to organize and plan.

"So, should we go now or…" Zack was cut off by a knock on the door, and then Tifa's head popped into the room.

"Hey guys, I talked to Barret and he's interested in meeting you. We do need some help as it turns out."

"Alright, we'll be out in a moment," I told her then moved to the bed and started shoving the gil, potions, materia, and other items into my and Zack's packs. I did reequip my fire and restore materia. I noticed that Zack also equipped his fire and a lightning materia.

Cloud forced himself to his feet then, refusing Zack's offer to help him, and we all trooped after Tifa, walking slowly so Cloud could keep up.

The Seventh Heaven was a fair distance from the inn and because we were all waiting for Cloud, the walk took longer. It did give Tifa an opportunity to talk to Cloud and Zack though.

"So, you left Shinra and became mercenaries?" She confirmed.

"Yep, couldn't stand it anymore," Zack told her. Cloud just nodded.

"Might not want to tell Barret, he hates anything Shinra, present and former. So, I know you were a SOLDIER Zack, but what about you, Cloud? And what about Rachas?"

"I… I…" Cloud began.

I wasn't sure what Cloud could say. He knew already that he hadn't been in SOLDIER, but he had received the powers of one.

"I was a pilot they encountered on their adventures," I put out, hoping to divert some of Tifa's attention.

Tifa's eyes seemed to widen a bit at my news. "A pilot? As in the pilot who had an emergency landing on the plate a few days ago and landed off the airport?"

I blushed slightly at Tifa's question, it seemed as though Shinra hadn't been very tight lipped about this.

"Yeah, that was me. Lightning struck and I lost radios and navigation."

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Shinra has accused you of criminal charges and has offered a reward for information about you. Your plane has been impounded also."

I gave Zack the "I told you so" look while Cloud gave me a slightly grateful look. I think he wanted to hold off on the SOLDIER topic for as long as he could.

"What are the charges?" Zack asked, and I turned also, I needed to hear this.

"Endangerment, reckless operation of heavy machinery, and leaving the sight of an accident. They don't have a photo of you, but a very accurate description now that I think about it."

I couldn't help the groan I let loss. "Is that the best they can do? You almost had me worried for a moment." My voice oozed of sarcasm.

At the looks I was given, I clarified. "They've accused me of things that are VERY serious in the field of Aviation. If I ever go before a Judge and am found guilty, I could lose my licenses!"

"Sorry," Zack murmured as we turned another block and the Seventh Heaven came into view.

"Don't be sorry; just insure I'm not caught until after the statute of limitations runs out!" I replied, drawing laughs from everyone. "You are also going to assist me in breaking out my airplane once it has."

We arrived at Seventh Heaven then, Tifa leading us into the bar. Cloud had some trouble with the stairs, but you could tell he was doing better, even after the relatively short walk from the inn to here.

The Seventh Heaven was almost exactly the same as it was depicted in the game; it had the basic bar, the tables, and most importantly the pinball machine. Barret was nowhere in sight.

Tifa stepped behind the bar after glancing around.

"Seeing as how Barret has stepped out for the moment, would anyone care for a drink?"

I hopped onto a barstool straight away. Despite the fact that I expected Tifa's news, I needed a drink.

"Do you have mojitos?" I asked while Zack leaned against the bar, Cloud making his way to the barstool nearest the wall. Tifa stared at me for a moment and I wondered if perhaps they didn't have mojitos.

"I know you're a pilot, but that doesn't automatically make you legal," she stated as she set a glass in front of me.

"But…" I didn't get an opportunity to protest.

"I can't serve alcohol to people who are underage, and you'll be no exception."

"I'm 25!" I blurted out. This was actually a regular occurrence, even if I'm not a regular drinker. The difference this time is that I can't pull out my I.D. to prove it.

Tifa raised an eyebrow and looked to Zack who looked just as surprised as her. Zack shrugged at her.

"I thought she was 20 at oldest." I hate my young appearance.

"My wisdom teeth have already been removed," I stated, hoping to offer some proof of my age. "I've been flying eight years and the minimum age for pilot licensing is 17! I can show you my logbook!"

"If I find you questionable, I have to I.D." Tifa replied.

"Listen ta Tifa, girl. She knows what she's talkin bout," a deep voice came from the direction of the pinball machine.

"Thanks Barret," Tifa called.

I turned towards Barret. "Sir, I am officially on the run from a company that imposes itself as though it were our non-too-benevolent dictator, led by a lecherous glutton, and employs some of the most despicable scum that humanity has to offer. Each of us has witnessed it first hand, and now as I mourn, I am denied the privilege of drinking, which should be afforded to me over four years ago!"

Barret stared at me for a long moment; maybe I shouldn't have used some of those longer words. Then his mouth broke into a grin.

"Welcome! Make yurself comfortable! Tifa, give her sumthin like those milk things ya make Marlene!"

Tifa bit back a laugh as she pulled out a carton of milk, some strawberries, then disappeared into the back and returned with a bag of sugar. Looks like I was going to get strawberry milk. Part of me felt like asking for her to make it a chocolate one.

Zack actually did start laughing; Cloud just watched the happenings though I did see a slight twitching of his lips. Good, it seemed that saving Zack has saved us, at least partially, from being stuck with a Cloud-jerk.

"So, ya guys the mercs Tifa told me bout?" Barret asked, his eyes automatically gravitating to Zack.

"Sure are!" Zack exclaimed. He slapped Cloud across the back and continued. "Cloud here and me are the muscle, and Rachas, near you, seems to be our pilot/organizer/equipment manager."

"What are yur names and where ya from?" Barret continued, his gaze roaming over each of us in turn.

'Shit,' I thought as Tifa placed the strawberry milk before me. I knew I had forgotten something.

"I'm Zack Fair from Gongaga!" Zack announced happily.

"Cloud Strife, Nibelheim."

"Rachas Kaze, Banora," I blurted and wished I could kick myself. I had just declared that my name was wind in two languages.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zack go rigid.

"Nibelheim, eh?" Barret asked as he stared at Cloud. "So, ya knew Tifa already?"

"We grew up together," Tifa supplied.

"Hmmm… Alright, ya guys are hired!" Barret announced. "Our first strike will be tomorrow, how ya perform will be how we decide if ya stay or not."

I took a sip of the strawberry milk then, and just like all food in this world, it was so much… more than what food on Earth tasted like.

"Daddy!" A cute little girl ran in and was caught up by Barret.

"Marlene! How's daddy's little girl? Enjoy yur time out with Jessie?"

There is something about watching a big, brutish man suddenly act like a teddy bear for his little girl that is quite endearing. Sensing a family moment coming on, Zack signaled to both Cloud and I that we were leaving.

"Where ya guys goin?" Barret demanded before any of us reached the door, I was barely off the barstool.

"Relax, we'll be back tomorrow. We just have some supplies we need to grab," Zack reassured as Cloud hobbled towards the entrance.

"Supplies?" Barret asked.

"We're restocking on weapons, potions, those sorts of things," I stated as I followed Zack to the door.

"Fine, be here by 6pm, any later and yur all fired!" Barret shouted as we retreated through the door.

zzzzzzzzzz

Searching for weapons for Cloud and me proved to be an interesting venture. We checked the weapons shop in Sector 7 but found nothing that was worth the money. Eventually we moved our weapon shopping to Wall Market. In route we purchased a pack for Cloud and a few potions and antidotes.

I reached out with the Force several times, checking for Aeris or anyone who took an interest in us. As we entered the weapon shop on Wall Market, I believed I sensed the other girl, but she was a little ways away.

Inside the shop, I found my eyes drawn immediately to a case of knives that were just behind the glass. One set in particular caught my eye. They were a simple pair of tantō with one slot each, only about six inches in length. The sheaths were simple, unadorned wood and could be attached to a belt. They looked like winners to me, so I called Zack over.

"What do you think of those?" I asked, indicating the tantō.

Zack examined them for a few minutes, reached around the glass to grab one then examined the sharpness and strength of the blade.

"Probably the best thing you'll find here in regards to knives," he told me as Cloud approached. He was heaving a broadsword, almost as big as Zack's Buster Sword. At my look, Zack shrugged. "That sword isn't as good as mine, but it's the best they have for broadswords. How about getting a sword yourself? We could teach you!"

I found the offer tempting and actually did look at some of the thinner, shorter swords. None of them really called me though.

"Maybe next time," I told Zack as I paid the clerk for the weapons, a harness, and Cloud's titan bangle. I had offered to get him the mythril armlet, but he insisted that the bangle was fine.

The shop owner was apparently very happy to have so much business; he even threw in a weapon belt that I could attach my tantō to.

As we left, I heard a faint murmur rise from the planet. I could almost hear it at an understandable level, but not yet. As I waited for Zack to help Cloud to situate the harness and his new sword, I fitted the weapon belt just above my hips, attaching the tantō so one was on either side of my body. With my knives in place, I reached out to the Force again and found that there were some people, about nine low level thugs, that were starting to become interested in me. The sight of me now being visibly armed deterred two of them, Zack and Cloud with their ginormous swords and me standing close enough for them to see I was with them, caused five of the others to turn away.

I wondered why the last two would be so interested, and decided to find out. Gathering the Force as Zack helped Cloud struggle through attaching the sword to the harness, I aimed at the mind of one of the thugs. I only wanted to read his thoughts, but apparently I used far too much power. The man blacked out almost instantly.

Taking a long, calming breath, I tried again using the last thug. I sent out one gentle tendril of the Force and wormed my way into his head. I was as gentle as I could be, but I felt the man mentally scream, his body paralyzed by my invasion.

The reward from Shinra was what he was after. He just noticed that I fit the description of a person that Shinra was offering a moderate reward for. The man didn't know for certain if I was the right woman or not, but he thought it was worth a shot.

I pulled myself away from his mind right as Zack and Cloud finished fiddling with the harness and sword.

"You two ready to go?" I asked.

"More like ready for dinner," Zack responded as his and Cloud's stomachs both rumbled.

"Then how about I show you all a good place to eat around here," a voice called out. Zack instantly was grinning again at Aeris's appearance.

"That sounds great!" Zack exclaimed, pumping the air excitedly.

"I'm in!" I agreed then looked to Cloud.

"Ok," he agreed.

Aeris linked arms with Zack as we allowed her to lead us to the restaurant.


	6. Chapter 6

Saria: Well, I hope everyone is doing well!

Tori: Story is starting to enter the regular timeline!

SA: (stares at Tori) Zack is alive, this won't be regular.

Zas: Yeah, Zack is awesome and alive; this'll be a lot funnier!

zzzzzzzzzz

The restaurant we ate at was the one featured in the game during Cloud's cross-dressing stint. I was hard pressed to keep from laughing; just knowing that he was going to have to go through that was almost putting me into stitches. Maybe I could find some way to be there, at least for the part of dressing him up.

Unfortunately, my mirth did not go unnoticed by anyone at the table.

"What's so funny?" Zack asked, looking around for whatever was causing my half-smile.

"Just remembering a time when I went with some friends to a place similar to this," I replied. I glanced at the menu and wondered briefly what the special was. I also noted that Korean BBQ was now Wutaian BBQ.

"Oh, what was that like?" Aeris asked.

"A few years ago, while I was still in school, my friends and I would go out to this restaurant that was almost mid-way between all our homes. The place was so small, the owners always knew when we were coming, and we had this table they always saved for us. We'd talk, play games…" I stopped myself as I felt a lump form in my throat.

"That sounds like it was a lot of fun!" Aeris offered. Zack looked like there was something he wanted to ask.

"It was," I replied as the waiter approached the table.

"What can I get you guys?" He asked, pad and pen at the ready.

"What's the special today?" I asked.

"Grilled fish and potatoes," was the response.

"I'll have the special!" Aeris decided.

"Same here!" Zack seconded.

"Wutaian BBQ," Cloud and I said simultaneously. I raised an eyebrow at Cloud who shrugged.

"Any drinks?"

"I'd like barley tea," Aeris responded.

Zack, Cloud, and I all settled for water.

"We have our first job tomorrow!" Zack announced after the waiter had walked away.

"That's great! Will I not be able to see you guys?"

"We don't have to be there until 6pm, so I don't see why not, if possible," Zack answered.

"Possible?" Aeris asked.

"We found out today that Shinra has posted a reward for me," I explained. "We don't want to endanger you, so if it seems like one of us may be followed, we won't risk it."

Aeris's eyes widened at my comment, then she looked me in the eye, mouthing "found out?"

"Apparently being hit by lightning in an airplane and having an honest emergency isn't an innocent occurrence," I reassured her. "Worst that can happen is a loss of my licenses."

Aeris seemed relieved for a moment.

Zack piped up then. "We'll be keeping Rachas out of Shinra's way for a while, hey Cloud, how long is the statute of limitations?"

"About five years," Cloud replied, sitting up slightly as he sipped his water.

"How'd you know that?" I asked.

Cloud shrugged and mumbled something about how he used to read a lot.

"So, we got Rachas for another five years? Great!" Zack declared. "Once our group really gets going, we'll have transportation covered!"

"Need to get there first," I stated. "Great, stuck with an over-sized kid and a chocobo til I'm 30," I teased.

Aeris giggled, Zack laughed, and Cloud scowled.

"See, I not the only one who thinks your hair makes you look like a chocobo, Cloud!" Zack declared.

"Better a chocobo than a kid, Zack," Cloud finally responded.

I stared at Cloud in slight shock; he had actually tried to joke! Almost like when he was relaxed and himself in Crisis Core!

Our food arrived moments later and conversation tapered for a moment seeing as there were two enhanced humans eating.

"So Aeris," I began, "how did you hear of this place?"

"My mother and I sometimes come here, mostly on special days such as birthdays. How is the BBQ? I've never really had it."

"I've had dog food that's tasted better," I joked, then slapped Cloud's back as he began to choke. Aeris did the same for Zack. Both of them had almost cleaned their plates despite the fact that the food had arrived only a minute ago. "Would you like to try some?"

"Certainly, I've never had dog food." Aeris smiled as I used the back of my chopsticks to push some of the beef, onions, and peppers onto the side of her plate. "I never learned to use those," she murmured, indicating the chopsticks.

"Would you like to learn?" I asked.

The meal passed in much this sense: Zack and Cloud ate three plates of food each, long before Aeris and I had finished our single plates. When they had finished they joined in on the chopstick lesson I was giving. By the end of the meal Aeris was able to keep her grip on the chopsticks while picking up some pieces of food, Cloud was still struggling, and Zack was holding one stick per hand as he attempted to double team the folded napkin I had set before him after I got sick of wearing his slip ups.

I think when the group gets to Wutai; I will sit on the opposite end of the table as Zack if we ever sit down to eat like this.

Everyone was in good spirits when we departed that night; I hoped we'd be able to keep that mindset.

zzzzzzzzzz

The next morning came quickly, and I wasn't surprised when Zack immediately wanted to go see Aeris at the church.

"Zack, Aeris has a life too, and unless you plan to recruit her, I don't suggest going to see her this early!" I lectured as I dragged Zack by the ear toward a shop, Cloud trooping behind us, and I was certain I heard several suppressed snickers.

"Ow! Ok, ow! I get it! Give Aeris some space! Please let go!"

I sighed as I released Zack's ear. I already knew that in order to, hopefully, save Sector 7, Aeris would get captured. I did wonder though how Zack would react. It would probably take Cloud, Tifa, and me to keep him from charging the plate directly. For now though…

"You can go see her a little later, make sure that you're not seen though. So, what do you guys want for breakfast?"

Zack grinned as usual and charged through the store, selecting various items here and there. I grabbed a basket myself and grabbed Cloud by the arm, dragging him through the shop.

"So, you and Zack are good friends then?" I asked as I grabbed a bottle of juice.

Cloud selected one himself before answering. "Yeah."

"How'd you two meet?"

Cloud was confused for a few minutes, obviously thinking back. "I… don't remember."

I shook my head, feigning concern. He'd get this right eventually, but he needed to know that there were people who would support him through this.

"Probably because of what Shinra did to you," I said as I moved farther down the aisle, grabbing an apple before considering some of the pastries. I glanced down as another apple joined mine in the basket. "Cloud, isn't there anything you specifically want?" I asked.

Cloud bobbed his head slightly, and then indicated towards a muffin that was down the case a bit.

"Well, go ahead and grab it, no need to wait for permission." I sighed slightly as Cloud grabbed a bag for the muffin; despite that he had some good moments, his spirit was going to need some bolstering. Zack might be alive now, but I believe that Cloud will still need to be the hero. We won't have to deal with arrogance, but timidness can be worse in many situations. An arrogant Cloud would try, a timid one might not.

Grabbing a pastry bag myself, I grabbed a Danish for myself and turned to head for the register. Zack was already there with a bag of jerky, a cold coffee, and two muffins. I hoped Aeris wouldn't blame me if a sugar and caffeine high Zack bounced around her church.

zzzzzzzzzz

Sure enough, Zack went bouncing off to see Aeris almost immediately after wolfing down his breakfast. I estimated that the caffeine and sugar rush would hit right around the time he would be passing the Sector 5 gates.

Cloud and I opted to spend the day at the Seventh Heaven. Cloud helped Tifa around the bar by carrying crates, setting out bottles, and various other chores. I helped by sweeping out the bar until I met one of the AVALANCHE members.

"Hi, you must be one of the mercenaries that Barret hired," a female voice said behind me.

"Yep," I replied, turning to meet Jessie. "My name's Rachas. You would be?"

"Jessie, nice to meet you," she offered her hand and we quickly shook. "Have you been in Midgar long?"

"No, this is actually just my second time. The first time I stayed on the plate, this is the first time I've been below the plate for an extended amount of time. Pretty disconcerting."

"Yeah, the plate is pretty impressive to look at from this vantage point," Jessie pointed out the window. "Some people who live down here haven't ever seen the sky directly above them, let alone experienced any actual weather."

"Never seen the sky?" Dear lord, I'm going to be ill. We aren't going to be staying long, but I couldn't imagine not being able to have the sky for weeks if not months on end.

"Oh, Tifa mentioned you before, a pilot right? You would find not having the sky a terrible thing."

"I have several questions about the plate," I said, still staring out the window.

"Like what?"

"How is it that people aren't afraid that the plate will suddenly collapse? Are there fail-safes that would hold the Sectors in place if there was a complete and total power failure? Some emergency systems in case a plate support was lost?" I looked at her, the confusion in her eyes obvious. "I have an education in engineering and accident investigation; I can't help but automatically start assessing everything I see."

Jessie nodded, a grin appearing on her face. "The type who will pull something apart looking for what can and did go wrong, huh? How did you become a pilot though?"

"Flew with someone one day and found myself hooked. Would you mind answering my questions though?"

Jessie laughed then began her explanation. "There are fail-safes meant to hold Midgar together, especially in case of power failure, but not total power failure. The locks that hold the plates in place are reinforced by Mako, allowing for the plate to deliver power to those who live on them. The eight reactors are necessary for Midgar to be able to function at its highest capacity. If the support to one plate is lost, the plate can be supported so long as there are seven reactors."

"So, if the supports to one plate were to be lost, and two reactors went off line, the plate would automatically fall?" At Jessie's nod of affirmation, I mentally cursed. I had been thinking about trying to get my hands on an Electro-magnetic pulse bomb and kill the circuitry of the plate, but if what Jessie said was true, that wouldn't help at all. After hitting two reactors, the only way to stop Shinra would be to stop Reno at the support.

"Seems kind of irresponsible, creating something like this with such a glaring flaw," I told Jessie.

"Since when has Shinra been responsible?" Jessie asked with a laugh. "So, a pilot? Why'd you change to a mercenary?"

Before I could say anything further, Zack entered the room. He looked both happy and downtrodden.

"Something happen with Aeris?" I asked then glanced at my watch. He had been gone for over three hours.

"Turks, they were sitting outside her church. I waited for them to leave, but when Aeris left, they followed. I won't get to see her today."

"You think they're on to us?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"No, they've been observing her for years now. I hope she doesn't take the wrong way…"

"She's a sharp girl, Zack. I'm pretty sure she's aware of them. She wouldn't want you getting caught." I glanced over at the bar where Cloud and Tifa were talking. "At least Cloud seems to be moving easily again."

"Yep, and tonight we'll all be stretching our legs!" He cheered.

"Such enthusiasm," Jessie stated with a laugh, and then the pinball machine sank into the basement level. Moments later we were joined by Biggs and Wedge.

"Everything is set and ready to go," Biggs said as he walked over to stand beside Jessie.

Jessie nodded then turned back to us. "We should all probably get some rest while we can, this'll be a long night."

I nodded and followed her to the hole left by the pinball machine. Grabbing the side, I lowered myself into the room below and dropped down the last few feet once my arms were fully extended. Zack simply dropped down next to.

Jessie moved to one side of the room, and as I made for an area that looked to be covered in a mat, Zack's hand caught my arm.

"Rachas, you said that you were from Banora, right?"

"Yeah," I said with a nod. "Hadn't been back there for over seven years when I met you and Cloud."

"Did… did anyone you know…"

"Zack, I was only there to confirm something. I really had nothing to make peace with," I stated.

"No peace was needed?" Zack asked, visibly confused.

"No, I didn't need to apologize or make peace," I confirmed. Zack seemed to visibly relax.

zzzzzzzzzz

I was dreaming again and I knew it. All around me the Lifestream flowed, refreshing and cool, and the whispers and murmurs of those who were a part of the stream flooded my ears. Everything was… peaceful.

"-chas?" A voice called out over the peace of this place. The voice went silent and peace reigned once more.

"Rachas!" The peace was shattered painfully this time and I snapped awake, glaring sleepily at Cloud, who seemed to be the one to awaken me.

"Good, you're awake. We're wanted upstairs," Cloud stated.

"Alright," I mumbled as I stood quickly, stretching as noticed that AVALANCHE had gathered in the room. Wedge was still trying to rouse Jessie, and Zack snored fitfully on some boxes. "So, enjoy your day with Tifa?"

Cloud coughed slightly, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "You get to wake up Zack."

"Ok," I replied as I looked around then grabbed a cup of water that was innocently sitting on the table. "WAKE UP!" I shouted as I threw the water into Zack's face. I had no clue if Zack was a heavy sleeper or not, but I was banking on him being able to sleep through an earthquake. Fortunately I was wrong.

"BLARGH!" Zack screamed as he jumped to his feet amidst the laughter of everyone in the room.

"And good morning to ya too!" Barret declared. "Now everyone, we're goin ta be striking the Sector 1 mako reactor tonight!"

Zack's ears perked up when he heard those words, and he jumped over to the table.

"Joinin us tonight are three mercs as you all know. They're our extra firepower tonight. Jessie, take over an explain the details."

"We'll be taking the train to Sector 1, each of us equipped with a fake I.D. Those with weapons too hard to hide will be riding on top of the train," Jessie began. "We have ciphers to get us through the gates, and upon reaching the elevator, we'll split into two groups, one that covers our escape, the other will plant the bomb. The bomb planting team will proceed to the heart of the reactor and set the device. Once set, we'll have ten minutes to get out. And since we'll be hitting between shifts, casualties should not be an issue so long as the bomb explodes the way it should."

I breathed a sigh of relief, and I noticed Zack do the same. Cloud just nodded to show his understanding. It was violent but direct, and AVALANCHE did put effort into keeping casualties to a minimum.

We were then given our assignments. We mercenaries would all be on the forward team, going straight to the heart of the reactor along with Barret. Unlike Cloud, Zack, or Barret though, I would be in the train.

We departed from Seventh Heaven at just before 8pm; if everything went according to plan we would be back by 1am.


	7. Chapter 7

SA: So, we have now officially hit the storyline…

Tori: Yep, still plenty of room for creativity, but lots of structure will be necessary.

Zas: Any pranks?

Saria: More like a lot of general fun. Also, a shout out is in order to findthetiger129! Your review was spot on! I'm trying to make this a bit of a mind game that Shinra is attempting to play with AVALANCHE. Cookies for you!

Tori: (passes out the cookies)

zzzzzzzzzz

I sat with Wedge on the train as I contemplated all that I'd learned from Jessie. No matter how I looked at the situation, if the Sector 5 reactor was hit, then Sector 7 was doomed unless we stopped Reno. The only alternative I could think of was welding the plate in place, but I wouldn't have the time to go running all over the plate with a blow-torch. Could I possibly call in a bomb threat and get the entire area to evacuate? Shinra would probably declare it a prank from some slum kid.

We were running out of time very quickly and I didn't think I'd be able to convince Barret to not bomb the reactor. I had a feeling anyway that even if I could stop the bombing, Shinra would try to drop the plate as soon as they knew that the headquarters was in Sector 7 anyway, claiming sabotage or something like that happened at a reactor.

"So, whatever happened to that Banora White apple juice you used to be able to buy in stores?" Wedge asked me, nudging me out of my thoughts. "It was really good, but I can't find it anymore."

"Production was stopped on that after an… accident in Banora some years ago. The production plant was destroyed." I never found myself as thankful for my talent for half-truths as I had been for the last couple days. I knew I'd need it in the weeks to come.

"Why didn't they try to rebuild? I'm sure they had plenty of customers," Wedge pushed.

"Because too many people were hurt in this accident. Banora is uninhabited anymore." I wasn't lying right now, this was the truth.

"I see, so Tifa said that Zack and Cloud were SOLDIER, did you know?"

I nodded my assent as the train began to slow; I glanced out to see the platform was quickly approaching. "Ready?" I asked as I stood and checked my tantō. Wedge nodded, rising also, his heavy form making the limited space on the train seem tighter.

The moment the door to the train opened, I jumped out, noticing Biggs and Jessie do the same in the forward most portion of the train. The guards immediately moved to engage us, so I chambered a hammer fist and let it fly, catching the guard who came at me right in the temple with smashing force. The red clad guard groaned, his eyes rolled back, and he dropped, unconscious.

"Well, seems ya got some skill in fightin!" Barret yelled as he jumped down from the roof of the train as Wedge jumped through the door I had exited moments ago and took off down the platform. "You two, get down here! Not payin ya to sit on a train all day!"

Zack and Cloud jumped moments later, both looking ready for action.

"Comon newbies, follow me!" Barret declared as he followed his crew down the platform. I took off after him, Zack and Cloud easily keeping pace. Two guards did appear before we left the platform but they were easily dispatched by Zack and Cloud.

We made it to the avenue and headed for the reactor gates where Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie were of course waiting for all of us.

"So, was Tifa correct when she said that you guys were SOLDIER?" Biggs asked.

"SOLDIER? Really? Why are they in AVALANCHE?" Jessie asked. I was already noticing a change in their dialogues, Jessie didn't seem as to feel as threatened, that was certain. Then again, we weren't exactly a group that looked intimidating if you weren't looking at Zack and Cloud's swords.

"Apparently they left, years ago at that," Biggs replied.

"Saw some stuff we really didn't like and decided we were better off without Shinra," Zack explained.

Barret chose then to appear.

"What the hell ya'll doin? Thought I told ya never to move in a group! Our targets the North Mako Reactor, we'll meet on the bridge in front of it!"

The AVALANCHE group nodded as Jessie swiftly unlocked the gate, then the three of them rushed through. Barret moved to follow, then turned back to us.

"Ex-SOLDIER huh? Well at least ya had the common sense to quit," He declared before turning and running down the walkway. Wow, even Barret is changing. Maybe Cloud's attitude and arrogance grated on him that badly.

"Shall we?" Zack asked with a laugh, and the three of us ran after Barret. The run though was pretty short, only a few hundred feet before we were at the bridge. Wedge began hacking the code and within moments we were in the first chamber of the reactor.

"Yo! This yur first time in a reactor?" Barret asked as the second door was opened.

Zack gave an immediate "Nope," while Cloud had to think on it a bit. "No," he finally said. "Yes," I responded.

"The Planet's full of Mako energy, People here use it every day." Zack raised an eyebrow, Cloud shrugged, and I gave him the "we know that already" look. "It's the life blood of this planet. But Shinra keeps suckin' the blood out with these weird machines."

"They are money-worshipping urchins," I replied. "If you could pay him enough, President Shinra would probably bleed himself dry, drop by drop."

Jessie shuddered at my analogy, Zack was staring at Barret with some shock, and Cloud… had just walked to the next room on the map. The sound of a chest opening came a moment later.

"Found this," the blond said as he tossed a phoenix down to Zack.

"Don't run off like that!" Barret roared. "You all are coming with me!"

Jessie got the elevator open then and we all clambered in, it was a very tight fit.

"Would someone press the down button?" Jessie asked over the sound of everyone shuffling.

"Got it!" Zack called back, turning to press the button and inadvertently knocking Cloud into Barret with his sword.

As the elevator descended, Barret straightened himself out and started again. "Little by little the reactors'll drain out all the life. And that'll be that!"

"Even if you manage to blow up the reactors, you need to find an alternative and get the people to agree with it!" I cut in. At Barret and Zack's looks, I continued. "People are lazy. Generally, if they don't have to work for something, they won't. To hell with the consequences. Shinra has the money to rebuild reactors, so unless you sway the people or Shinra with those ideas and really get them to hit home, the reactors will just be rebuilt."

"We can buy time then, until they learn," Barret responded as the elevator doors opened.

"Which is what we're good for," Zack called out, draping an arm over Cloud's shoulders.

The five of us rushed out of that elevator and towards the stairs. Four security robots attacked, but Jessie ran right by them. Cloud and Zack immediately rushed two of the bots while Barret sprayed bullets at another. That left one for me.

Drawing one of my tantō, I rushed the robot much like Zack and Cloud had, except when the thing fired a shot, I hit the ground in a forward somersault instead of jumping or sideways dodging as they had. My somersault got me in close enough proximity for my left hand to shove the nose of the robot upwards while my right hand slashed the tantō across the thin support for its head, cutting all the wires and the thin plastic rod. The machine died instantly as its power was cut.

Jumping up, I saw that Zack and Cloud were already finished and that Barret's opponent looked not unlike Swiss cheese.

"Let's catch up to Jessie," Cloud said, speaking for the second time since entering the reactor. I sheathed my tantō and took off after him, Zack and Barret close behind.

We encountered five more robots as we ran after Jessie, each of them as easily dispatched as the first four had been. Then we were on beams heading for the sideways ladder. Each of us climbed down it, Barret with a little trouble, then headed toward the pipe walkway to the ladder that would take us to the deepest level of the reactor. Jessie peeled off from us to wait by the pipes.

I'm not afraid of heights, never really have been. I view it as an irrational fear. HOWEVER, it is perfectly rational to be afraid of falling from heights. As I descended that ladder, I continuously found that I was reminding myself of that. That it was a healthy fear I was experiencing, especially with a nice, luminous mako bath waiting at the end of any possible slip.

I didn't notice the odor here until after I had descended the ladder and was traversing the pipeway behind Cloud. Unlike Banora where the mako smelled alive, almost pleasant, this smelled rancid! I swear that my nose hairs were curling and dying. Neither Zack, Cloud, nor Barret showed any indication of smelling anything.

I descended the final ladder right after Cloud, Zack then Barret following me. As soon as we were all down we ran across the last walkway to the core of the reactor, Cloud picking up the Restore materia along the way.

Barret handed Cloud the bomb and directed him to set it up. I watched Cloud head over to the core, then he froze for a moment.

Barret, not noticing that Cloud wasn't moving, stated, "When we blow this place, this ain't gunna be more than a hunka junk."

"Hey Zack, mind if I equip one of your lightning materia?" I asked.

"No problem," he replied as he tossed the materia to me. I quickly slotted it into my right hand tantō.

Cloud seemed to unfreeze a moment later and continued to finish the set up the bomb. Right as he finished setting up the detonation system though, the alarms started to blare.

"Heads up!" Cloud shouted as he looked back towards us, and sure enough the guard scorpion mech was charging along the ceiling before dropping to the gangway.

Immediately all four of us were in a formation, Barret and I in the back, Cloud and Zack in the front. The mechanical menace started by scanning Zack, right before Barret unleashed his first volley of bullets. Drawing my tantō, I focused on the newly equipped lightning spell, casting as powerful a bolt as I could.

The bullets seemed to annoy the machine, the lightning jolted it badly. It almost seemed to stumble for a moment, and that was when Zack and Cloud jumped into action.

Zack charged the right claw of the machine, catching it with his Buster sword as Cloud used the opening he created to slash at its now unprotected right side.

The mechanical scorpion stumbled some from the blow, but the damage was limited to just a dent in the side.

Zack and Cloud jumped back as Barret fired again, but his volley was interrupted by the machine making a charge and slashing at him with one claw, the other aimed at me. As Barret jumped back, I felt for the Force as I dropped and rolled out of the way of the claw. It was very slippery right then and rather than stop to concentrate, I cast lightning again, the mech freezing for a moment, just long enough for Zack and Cloud to once again make a run at the thing. Unfortunately, Cloud was knocked away by one of the claws as the thing jerked back into motion; Zack was able to get in a glancing blow though, deepening the dent originally made by Cloud.

I noticed then the tail was starting to rise, right as Barret raised his gun arm again.

"It'll counterattack!" I yelled, but it was too late as Barret began his barrage. The scorpion took aim with its tail and attempted to impale the gunner, luckily Barret was able to dodge.

Zack chose then to jump high into the air, sword held high. I recognized his Meteor limit break in an instant, and watched as he came down upon the mech with brutal force. Unfortunately he didn't hit the same spot as previously, instead creating a very large dent and crack directly on the boss's back.

The laser cannon on the tail of the scorpion began to spark; I knew immediately what was coming. Fortunately, so did everyone else.

"It's going to fire!" I yelled right as Zack yell "Dodge!", Cloud yelled "Heads up!", and Barret yelled "Move it!"

The Force chose then to cooperate with me, and all around me, everything seemed to slow down. I had been mid-forward somersault to escape the blast, and it felt as though I were moving at normal speed, but I heard a whistling in my ears that wasn't normal.

The laser began the assault, but before it could get even a quarter of the way through the attack, I was behind the machine, tantō in hand, as I slashed the joints on the two back legs.

The machine was so imbalanced that without those legs, it stumbled backwards; I dodged between its legs, rejoining the team by running below its belly.

Right as I rejoined the group, time seemed to return to normal around me. The scorpion landed on the curve of its tail with a thunderous "BANG!"

Barret started his barrage again, seeing the machine off balance, as Zack raced to defend him from the left claw as it swung at Barret. Cloud on the other hand was on the ground, an obvious laser burn on his leg.

As Zack and Barret continued their assault, I rushed to Cloud, focusing on the Restore materia I had, and threw enough power for two cure spells into one. The wound receded almost immediately, the red and black on his flesh fading to pink.

I pushed up, slightly exhausted from the spell as Cloud jumped back to his feet, then launched himself high into the air, much as Zack had done.

The Braver limit break I realized, and Cloud's blow struck hard and true, right over Zack's. The screech of metal being torn and twisted rang through the chamber as the guard finally was destroyed, its frame falling from the gangway to the mako below.

Everyone took a moment to breathe before Zack let out a whoop.

"Cloud, that was amazing! Great shot!" he yelled as he thumped Cloud on the back. Cloud in turn offered a sheepish grin before turning to finish the bomb.

"Thanks," he murmured as he passed me.

"We have ten minutes til detonation!" Barret declared.

No one needed to be told twice, we all booked it. Cloud was the first up the ladder followed shortly by Zack, then me, Barret bringing up the tail of our group. The pipeway rattled as we all ran to the second ladder, especially when Barret joined us in the rush.

Cloud had already helped Jessie up by the time I was up the ladder, Zack letting her take the lead before jumping on the ladder himself, Cloud now behind him. I glanced back and saw that Barret was blowing hard as he pulled himself up onto the walkway.

"Come on, just one more ladder Barret!" I called as I moved to follow Cloud.

"Jus… one… more…" Barret gasped as he stumbled to the slanted ladder.

The stairs weren't that bad, but I was starting to tire. The battle was short but intense, and getting there wasn't exactly a cakewalk. And I always thought I was in good shape.

The lot of us once again piled into the elevator, this time Cloud pressing the button to take us up, and we were climbing.

We raced out of the reactor, Jessie tripping on the way out and was helped up by Cloud. We were clear with almost two minutes to spare!

The lot of us used a utility door to make our escape into the service corridors of Midgar.

We all heard and felt the explosion when it happened; the sound was mostly muffled due to the layers of material that surrounded us.

"Ready, everyone get clear!" Wedge announced as he set the timer for a much smaller explosive. I jumped behind Zack who planted his Buster sword into the ground and ducked behind it.

Moments later the charge went off and we all jumped one by one through the small fire that started, except Wedge, he tried to run through it and set himself on fire. I laughed even as I grabbed my water bottle and used its contents to put out the fire. Everyone was laughing actually.

"Ok now, everybody get back!" Barret declared.

"H-hey," Cloud started but was interrupted.

"If its money you want, then wait til we get back to base," Barret declared before running down the main alley out of the area we came out in. We all watched him go.

"Well, you heard the man," Zack said before jogging in the same direction.

I sighed and started to jog after him, Cloud right beside me.

"You did great in there," I told him as we jogged toward the station.

"Thanks, you were pretty fast yourself. Was that a limit break?" he asked.

"Maybe," I replied with a grin as we came out into a square. Aeris was there and Zack was making a beeline towards her. "Should have known," I said as I directed Cloud's attention to Aeris.

He grinned also as we ran to join Zack.

"Hey Aeris! Sorry I didn't come by today, I did try!" Zack exclaimed as he ran up to her. He then noticed she was carrying a basket of flowers. "What happened to the wagon we built?"

"Hello Zack and I already know that I was being followed. It broke some time ago," Aeris answered. "Good evening Rachas, Cloud."

"Hey Aeris, are those the flowers from your church?" I asked.

"Yes, some of them. Would you like to buy one? Just 1 gil."

"Sure," I replied as I pulled out several gil. Cloud and Zack also bought flowers, Zack immediately tucking his purchase behind Aeris's ear.

I really loved the way the flowers felt in my hand, they were soft and felt so alive. I felt the Force hum slightly; it also seemed pleased by the flowers.

"You'll want to head home soon," Zack said. "The reactor just got bombed."

"Alright, you take care as well, oh Rachas, may I ask you something? In private?" She gave Cloud and Zack meaningful looks as she asked for privacy.

"No problem, Cloud and I will wait right over there," Zack stated as he indicated down a side alley.

"Rachas," Aeris whispered after Zack and Cloud had moved away, "I keep sensing the Lifestream being pulled at, used, but not like with a mako reactor. I noticed it the first time when I met you at Wall Market and it's happened several times since then. Are you able to call upon the Lifestream?"

I froze, wondering what she meant. The Lifestream? I wasn't aware of calling upon it…

"I have moments," I admitted. "I don't think I'm using the Lifestream, but there is an energy that surrounds everything."

"The Lifestream," Aeris confirmed. "You'll need to be careful with that."

"You need to be careful as well Aeris, Zack told me about the Turks."

"I won't out you, you've nothing to worry about," she tried to reassure.

"That's not what I'm worried about. If Shinra drags you off, Zack won't be the only one coming to rescue you," I promised.

She nodded then we parted ways. I rejoined Zack and Cloud, mindful of the flowers and another realization. Had I really been calling on the Lifestream and not the Force?

Our group raced through the streets, avoiding fights as best we could.

"Hold it!" A voice yelled out behind us.

"Ignore them," I said to Zack and Cloud.

More MPs started to show up, blocking our path in all directions.

"We don't have time for this!" Zack shouted in exasperation. "We have a train to catch."

All of us heard the train then, right beneath us. Zack and Cloud exchanged a look then I was grabbed by Zack and hauled over his shoulder as they both jumped.

Landing was an a little harsh for though he was a SOLDIER, Zack had still been out of commission for several years until recently. I bounced off his shoulder as we landed on the train, then all of us flattened ourselves to the train roof as the train entered the tunnel that would lead to the shaft for the tracks to the slums.

As space began to open up above us, Zack crawled up several cars, obviously looking for something. Cloud was about to join his search when Zack seemed to find what he wanted and waved us over.

Zack hadn't found the car with Jessie, Barret, Biggs, and Wedge; he had simply found an empty box. He climbed down to the platform between cars and forced open the door, Cloud and I jumped down and entered the car after him.

Zack sank into one of the benches with a great sigh. "My day is complete! First successful job and I got to see my girlfriend!"

"Day isn't over yet, think we should find Barret and crew?" I asked.

The back door slammed open then and a number of people entered the car. One of them was a man in a suit who took one look at us and declared, "Suspicious people all over the place! I hate the midnight train!"

"I think I know where they are," Cloud said as he moved to the back door and jumped to the next car. I followed him closely.

Barret and the rest weren't in the next car, nor the one after that. They were in the fourth car.

"Cloud! Rachas!" Jessie exclaimed, the first to spy us.

"And Zack Fair!" Zack declared behind me, striking a heroic pose.

"What took you guys?" I asked with a grin.

"What took us? Where were you guys?" Biggs demanded.

I let Cloud and Zack do the explaining as I grabbed a seat on the bench, I needed to think on what Aeris had told me. Had I really been using the Lifestream as though it were the Force? The more I thought about the possibility, the more I had to admit that I could be. They were both energies that bound life together, both enabled great abilities, and both were living. But could Gaia really create something like the Force? I really didn't think so; even she had to have her limits.

I was so caught up with my musings; I almost didn't notice our arrival to Sector 7. I followed Cloud back to the Seventh Heaven where he gave the flower he bought to Tifa. In turn, I gave one of the flowers I bought to Marlene who seemed to be in awe of them. I set the rest in a glass of water that was on the bar and carried them down to the meeting room with me.

Zack was already down there along with the majority of AVALANCHE, the current exceptions being Barret and Tifa, who Cloud was still visiting with. Heavy footsteps above sounded before Barret dropped into the basement, Cloud and Tifa jumping in a moment later.

"Alright crew, good job tonight, and we'll make an even bigger blast tomorrow!" Barret announced before moving over to Zack and slapping money into his hand.

Zack checked his pay then grinned at me. "We got 1500 gil!" he announced. "One job has already paid off the equipment for you and Cloud!"

I smiled, almost laughed, and repressed my groan as I realized just how well I got paid to fly. This world must really be hurting for pilots if they were willing pay almost 20x the going rate of a mercenary, even a new one. Things would eventually get more expensive though.

"We already have plans for tomorrow," Barret started in.

"Same price, we got to make a name for ourselves somehow!" Zack replied with a grin.

"Great, targets the Sector 5 reactor," Barret replied, he seemed to be in a very good mood indeed. I guess not having to deal with an abrasive attitude before, during, and after blowing up a Shinra reactor had left him in a very good mood.

Zack's face fell slightly at the mention of the Sector 5 reactor, it was one of the sites for some very important events in his life, not just a fight with Angeal, but also led to him meeting Aeris. I don't think he'll mind it being destroyed too much though.

"Are you sure you want to hit another target so quickly?" I asked. "I think Shinra will probably be on high alert for the next couple of days. Maybe you should put it off for a week, let them get some false sense of security."

"Nah, let's hit 'em now while they're still in shock!" Barret declared and was met with the cheers of the other members of AVALANCHE.

Those cheers and the grin on Zack's face confirmed one thing: I was going to have to come up with a plane to save Sector 7 very quickly.


	8. Chapter 8

Saria: I have discovered a new definition of pain; it is called idiot chiropractors who guarantee that they can reduce pain through massage.

SA: Can't be all bad.

Zas: She was screaming. She didn't even do that after breaking a bone.

Saria: And he wants me to come in again for another session…

Tori: Brownie? (offers a brownie to Saria)

Saria: No…

zzzzzzzzzz

Time has a funny way of passing too quickly when you know you are in a bind and can't come up with a plan. The situation I found myself in was thus: each plan had a high possibility of failure or was just impossible. If I killed the circuitry of the plate with an electro-magnetic pulse, the plate would drop soon after the Sector 5 reactor was bombed. Attempting to change Barret's mind with the Jedi mind trick also proved to be impossible, he had a strong mind and was dead set on the bombing, even as he slept. The welding would be impossible. At one point I thought of trying to climb the support that very night and deactivate the emergency drop system, but I knew next to nothing about bombs.

There really was no other choice but to fight Reno.

Sometime during the late night/early morning I did fall asleep, and the dream came again. The calming green of the Lifestream flowed around me, calming me, allowing me to relax. I found that I couldn't help but sigh in content. Now to business.

"It really was the Lifestream I've been using, isn't it?" I asked to the open space.

Her voice surrounded me once more. _"Yes, the Force and the Lifestream are essentially the same thing, with some exceptions, and your use isn't wasteful or depleting."_

I groaned even as the luminous stream continued to flow around me.

"_You are too forceful; you need to relax with this."_

"I'm doing everything I can to fulfill my promise!" I replied. "But this particular problem is… I just can't think."

The green almost seemed to solidify for a moment, almost feeling like an embrace. I stiffened during that time, unsure of what or why she was doing this.

"_Maybe you don't need to stop the plate, maybe you just need to buy time."_ Gaia offered.

"Why do you keep bringing me here?" I demanded, thankful that the "hug" had ended.

"_This is a place all Cetra can come to, especially as they become stressed about something. It is a good place to relax and meet your loved ones who have rejoined the Lifestream."_

'Great, the spiritual spa and picnic grounds,' I thought.

"_Try just letting go next time you attempt a Jedi skill. Know what you want and let the power that flows through you do the work, don't try to micromanage,"_ Her voice instructed, and then the world around me faded once again.

Groaning in the darkness, I rolled slightly try to find a more comfortable position. Beneath my head, I felt my pillow grunt a bit. It smelled rather… ripe.

Sitting up, I found I was still in the basement for the Seventh Heaven, not surprising seeing as how Barret insisted upon us staying the night. My pillow had actually been Zack's shoulder. Cloud was lying on Zack's other side, using his other shoulder.

Standing, I walked over to where the pinball machine descended and pressed the switch for it to lower. Wedge's head appeared through the opening and he called, "Good morning!"

"Morning," I called back, still a bit groggy. I rode up to the main floor to discover that Wedge, Jessie, and Tifa were all having breakfast, the menu being canned fruit, cereal, and milk.

I grabbed a bowl for some cereal and joined them.

"So, have you traveled very much?" Tifa asked.

"Extensively," I responded. "What about you guys? I know Tifa came from Nibelheim so she must he traveled some."

"I was born in Kalm, joined AVALANCHE some years ago. I've been to Cosmo Canyon, Gongaga, Costa Del Sol, just about everywhere except for Wutai and the Northern Continent," Jessie answered.

"Pretty much the same, except that I was born in Junon," Wedge remarked with a smile.

"I traveled around some with my martial arts master before joining AVALANCHE," Tifa said, then took a good look at my clothes. "We have a washer and a shower, if you'd like to clean up some."

I glanced down at my clothing and realized that I was coated in soot. My coat was just barely recognizable as green and my cargos no longer were blue. I could only imagine how thick the soot was smeared over my face.

"Well, at least I'm not blond at the moment," I joked.

"Sorry, but you are still a blond," Jessie said with a grin. "A dark blond, but still blond."

I groaned loudly then asked, "Jessie, would you lend me some clothes?"

Jessie lent me a black ¾ length sleeve shirt and a pair of khaki cargos. I scrubbed hard as I showered, awed by the sheer amount of soot that covered my body. I washed until the water ran clear.

Jumping out of the shower, I changed into the clothes that Jessie had lent then gathered my old ones and stuffed them into the old and battered laundry machine that was in the backroom of the Seventh Heaven. I didn't start the machine yet though.

Walking back into the front bar area, I found that both Cloud and Zack were awake and appeared to be in good spirits. They were also in much the same state I had been in.

Sidling up to the table, I smiled down at them both.

"I'm doing laundry, so strip."

Zack froze, spoon halfway to his mouth while across the table from him Biggs burst into laughter. Cloud also froze and stared at me with his big blue eyes.

"Uh… I don't have anything to change into," Zack offered.

"Neither did I, I borrowed clothes from Jessie." That did remind me though that I did have my clothes in my bag that needed to be washed also.

"B-but, what if no one is our size?" Cloud asked.

"Doesn't need to be your size, just something to wear for a few hours. You could wear a towel for that time if need be," I responded.

Zack groaned but stood. "Come on Cloud, we both need showers anyway."

zzzzzzzzzz

I didn't bother to separate the clothes, we all wore darks anyway. I just threw everything into the washer, added the detergent, checked the clothes after one cycle, added more detergent, checked them again, added more detergent, then finally decided they were clean enough and threw them into the dryer.

Cloud and Zack both took their showers and changed into different clothes. Because of his smaller size, Cloud was able to borrow some clothes from Biggs. Zack on the other hand was too big to borrow Biggs's clothes. He was too big to borrow anyone's clothes with one exception.

"It's not too bad," I told Zack as I bit my lip. "Your clothes will be out soon enough."

At the bar, Cloud was trying to hide his own grin with a drink while Tifa openly smiled.

Zack gave an almost scowl at them, but I don't think he was actually offended. "At least our clothes will be really clean," he grumbled as he sat at one of the tables.

"Oh, and Zack, I have space for one more materia, so would you run over to the shop and buy me an Ice? Thanks!" I said as I shoved 1000 gil into his hand.

"What, why can't you do it?"

"I'm doing laundry, Cloud is helping Tifa, and if I remember correctly, Barret says that you won't be departing on the mission today until 4pm. It's 10 right now, so you've plenty of time! So there's no need to rush back either. You can make sure Aeris made it home safely."

Zack charged out the door at that little incentive. Good, and I hope he remembers the Ice. I still couldn't come up with anything in regards to Sector 7, so I will most likely raise an alarm before heading to the support, try to get everyone to evacuate and stall for time.

"Hey, Rachas," Barret called to me as he entered the room.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning to face him.

"About the mission today, Tifa has decided to go so I'm going to ask you to sit out."

"Did something happen?" I seriously hoped that my attempts to put doubt in his mind last night have borne fruit of some kind!

"Nah, she just decided to go. Ya were using her I.D. last night while Zack and Cloud were using the extras, we ain't got another so someone is going ta sit out, and since both our extra I.D.'s are fer males…"

I understood completely; I wasn't male and they weren't prepared. There was some good from this though: extra time to spread an alarm. Or maybe I could grab Corneo's guy before he could report that Sector 7 was the location of AVALANCHE HQ. Too bad you never got an image of him to go by.

"Alright," I told Barret. "I'll hold down the fort here."

"Good that!" Barret replied as he walked off. Tifa then approached.

"Sorry to bump you. I really wanted to go last time but someone needed to keep the bar."

"Tifa, I understand perfectly," I replied to her. "The bar should be kept open so people don't suspect."

Tifa smiled as well. "That's great! So, do you know anything about bartending?"

"Not a clue," I responded honestly as I ran back to move the clothes to the dryer.

zzzzzzzzzz

Zack returned an hour before the group intended to set out, he even remembered to bring the ice materia I had asked for!

"Thanks Zack," I called as he tossed me the materia then grabbed his uniform and ran off to change. Cloud and I had already changed back into our regular clothes and I was taking the opportunity to watch people as they walked by outside. Though it wasn't much, I think that I had found the spy, he wasn't being very subtle as he passed in front of the Seventh Heaven four times, never carrying anything and not appearing to be in any particular rush. I equipped the materia in my last materia slot. No matter what happened for now, I should be pretty well balanced.

I was about to try to read his mind when Barret called the group together.

"Alright team, head for the train, I'll fill you in while we're in route." The team nodded their assent before Barret turned to Cloud and asked him about materia. I wore a half-smile when Cloud acquiesced and gave Barret the tutorial. They began to walk away while still talking.

I began to gather my focus, intent to try to see if I had guessed right about the spy when Zack stopped next to me.

"Hey, Rachas, after the mission, I really want to talk to you about something. It's about your hometown." I opened my mouth to protest, but Zack cut me off. "There are some things I really think you deserve to know, and I'd feel better knowing that you know." Before I could say anything, Zack had jumped from the porch and was running up the street after the group, heading for the station.

In the bar I heard Marlene shuffle around then peek out the door at me. She was so cute, but so shy, I really hadn't seen much of her for the past few days. Right now, she was looking at me as though I were a slight anomaly.

"Do you like the flowers I brought last night?" I asked for no particular reason, the spy had just turned around at the end of the street, so I fully intended to break into his mind when he came back around.

"Yes," her small voice answered. "They're very pretty. Papa thinks so too. He said they're rare."

"Flowers in Midgar are rare, very rare in fact. But there is this very nice girl who can grow them here. She has a dream, or maybe it's a goal, to be able to see flowers all over Midgar," I told her.

"Flowers all over Midgar?" Marlene sounded to be in absolute awe of the idea.

"Yeah, they'd definitely make this place a lot more attractive, don't you think?"

"Ah-hah!" was her enthusiastic response.

The spy was then in position, about to pass in front of the Seventh Heaven. Reaching out with my mind, I forced a tendril in, wanting to see who he was. As I did, the suspicious character froze right before the steps as I rifled through his thoughts quickly.

Damn, he was just lost and wondering where the accessory shop was, he didn't even realize he was on the wrong street.

I released his mind instantly, and the man panted for moment before straightening and stumbling away, even more confused than he had been before.

I sighed then walked back in to the Seventh Heaven and grabbed my jacket off the chair I had draped it over, slipping it on. The hunter green color was still darker than it had been due to the soot, but not by too much.

Marlene had moved back to behind the bar and was tinkering around with the glasses. From what I could see she was attempting to clean them and put them away. I pulled out a drying cloth and began to help her, drying the clean dishing and stacking them. About an hour passed before either of us spoke.

"When Midgar is full of flowers, do you think papa and Tifa would like them?" she asked.

"I think most people would. There's a strange power about flowers, they can get just about anyone to smile." That's probably why Zack and Aeris were so good a match, both of them could get most people to smile.

"So, people would be happy if Midgar were full of flowers? I want to see it!"

"I'm sure you'll get to see it one day, it's one of the reasons your father fights. He wants the flowers to flourish."

Marlene smiled brightly at me; the sort of bright smile only a kid can have that just melts your heart. Then her eyes shifted to the door.

I didn't look behind me, opting instead to send out my mind, invading that of the person behind me instantly. A bit of shuffling, and this was definitely the guy. Unfortunately I realized, they had already told Shinra the location of AVALANCHE, now he was just confirming that someone was here. He was meant to check back with his boss in five hours. I couldn't just let him go though.

"Come in," I ordered, focusing as hard as I could to insure the mind trick worked.

"Come… in…" a labored voice answered as heavy footsteps thudded across the floor.

"Marlene, please retrieve a rope," I told the shocked child.

She did as told while I focused on making the man move to the back room, then on sitting him in a chair with his hands behind his back which I then tied using the rope Marlene brought. I was sweating profusely from the effort, but I couldn't let this guy get away.

Grabbing my pack, I pulled my Kindle out and flipped through my various files, trying to find something to distract Marlene with. I finally decided on an old children's movie I had liked as a kid and had downloaded the day before Gaia brought me here for old time sake. Now if only I had some headphones.

"Marlene, this is a movie called Aladdin. I want you to go into the front, lock the door, watch the movie, and ignore anything you might hear," I instructed as I handed her the Kindle. "You press the triangle button right here to play the movie."

"THE HELL!" the man behind me shrieked as Marlene left the room.

"Who are you, who sent you, and what is your intent?" I asked, staring him full in the eye. I already knew, but I needed to make him admit it aloud to cover for me.

"Huh, little girl thinks she can scare me? Ya might know some tricks, but ya ain't got no hope of getting me ta talk," the man replied with a sneer.

"I might not be very intimidating to look at, but I know more than a few tricks that I can employ to make you more cooperative," I responded. Moving to a counter, I elaborated as I sorted through the various knick-knacks. "My grandfather taught me that the basic elements of torture could be slotted into several distinct groups, they are: sharp, hot, cold, mental, and time. Starvation for instance would be a time torture whereas waterboarding would be mental. Tortures also include sensations, almost completely non-life-threatening, but you'd live with the knowledge that I won't have to stop." I glanced at him to see if he was even slightly intimidated. He still had a cocky look, but I saw doubt rising in his eyes.

Lifting a simple long thin string that was strong enough for my intent, I approached him with it and hoped Marlene had followed my instructions.

The spy took one look at the thread and his attitude returned full-tilt. "A string? All those things and you have a string? Yur a stupid little girl!"

"You don't even know what I intend with this," I responded as I stepped behind him, looping the string under his nose, holding each end in my hands. "Know ahead of time that I don't like having to do things like this."

I yanked on the string then, drawing it tight under his nose, digging into the flesh. And the thug SCREAMED.

"ACK! FUCK FUCK FUCK! LET GO! MY FACE IS PEELING OFF!" He screamed, a few tears beginning to form in his eyes, and I hadn't even pulled hard enough to draw blood yet.

"Tell me what I asked, who are you and who do you work for?" I pulled the string tighter, drawing another shriek from the thug.

"Tarmin! My names Tarmin! I work for Don Corneo," he gasped.

I didn't alleviate any pressure as I asked, "What are you doing here?"

"AVALANCHE! Shinra wants to know the location of AVALANCHE! I was meant to check out the location and report back if there are any survivors of the trap!"

A gasp from the door caused me to drop the string, and then Marlene rushed over to me with a sob. "Papa, you have to warn papa, Rachas!"

"Your papa is very tough, I'm sure he'll be fine!" I reassured, but I could tell I wasn't going to convince her. "Why aren't you watching the movie like I told you to do?"

"You have to help my papa!" She screamed and sobbed.

"Alright, I'll go help your papa. You stay here and do as I say. Lock the door; don't open it for anyone except for me, your papa, or one of the others. Understood?"

I grabbed some wire from the table at her nod and reinforced the ropes on the thug with it. I couldn't allow him to escape! He may cause the plate to be dropped even sooner.

Grabbing my pack, I moved to the front room, shut off the Kindle and shoved it into the pack. I left the pack in a chair, checked that my tantō were in place, then opened the front door.

I only had one way of getting to the plate in time to catch Barret, and it would be iffy. If it worked though, I should be able to catch them as they left the reactor, thus keeping my promise to Marlene. I would have to take the train.

I barely made the train as it departed the station, jumping on between cars and forcing my way in through one of the between-car-doors.

There were a few people in the car, but no one really looked at me. I was still a bit tired from using so many Jedi skills earlier, but I was recovering pretty quickly. I drew the hood of my jacket over my head as the train reached the security scanner, I may not have an I.D., but I was certain that I could get through a check with the Jedi mind trick.

Sure enough, the scanner declared that an unidentified individual was on the train, and all the doors locked. I didn't move, trying to look as unsuspicious as possible, and as the train pulled into the first station, I got ready for the check.

The doors were opened by Shinra military who rushed through the car, demanding to see everyone's I.D. As a guard approached me, I summoned the power, trying to force it into cooperation. We weren't in Sector 5, so I needed to stay on the train in order to make it!

It was close, but I got control right in time.

"Identification!" the soldier demanded.

"You've seen my identification," I responded softly, nudging his mind.

"Seen… identifi… cation…" the guard murmured as he moved to the next person.

The search was completed a minute later and the soldiers left, grumbling. The train started to move again, and I was pleased when several minutes later we arrived in Sector 5.

I had no clue how much time I had left, so I ran as fast as I could through the streets, stopping twice for breathers at road maps I saw that looked like they were meant for posting bus routes. The reactor was posted on the second one, so I quickly committed the route to memory.

Finally reaching the reactor, I was happy to see that the main entrance still looked to be intact. No giant robots tearing around, no helicopters in the sky. I still took the stairs to the walkway two at a time. The quicker I was done with this, the quicker we could get an evacuation of Sector 7 underway. It had taken 25 minutes to get here, so we had over four hours to get the sector completely evacuated.

I reached the top of the stairs and raced down the walkway to the entrance, and ran face-to-chest with Zack.

"Woah! Rachas? What are you doing here?" he demanded as he grabbed me up and set me back on my feet, urging me to run back towards the stairs.

"Barret, there was a spy! I caught him and he told me there was a trap!"

"You left Marlene alone with a spy?" Barret roared.

"She should be safe, but we need to get back! I think Shinra found your location!"

"This way!" Barret yelled as he took the lead and ran toward one of the exits. "Shinra soldiers?" Barret declared as he jumped back.

"A trap," Cloud said.

Zack nodded as he shoved me back toward the opposite exit.

The sound of footsteps on metal drew everyone's attention to the Mako Reactor entrance.

"President Shinra," Barret growled, he sounded supremely pissed.

"What's he doing here?" Tifa whispered.

"Gloating at what he believes is a victory," I replied.

"Hmm… So you must be that… what was it?" The old man drawled.

"AVALANCHE! And don't ya forget it! And you're President Shinra, huh?" Barret exploded.

"Easy!" I said as gently as I could. "The old man can't help it if he has Alzheimer's."

The president shot me a heated glare at my comment. Neither Cloud nor Zack said anything, but the president noted their uniforms.

"And even the ones who quit SOLDIER and joined AVALANCHE. Tell me traitors, what are your names?"

Neither Cloud nor Zack responded, just glared at the man.

"Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember each person's name. Unless you become another Sephiroth."

Both Cloud and Zack went rigid; I could tell one of them was close to snapping.

"Yes, Sephiroth… He was brilliant, perhaps too brilliant…" Shinra continued.

"Sephiroth…" Cloud growled, but he was pushed back by Barret.

"Don't give a damn 'bout none of that! This place's goin' up with a big BANG soon! Serves y'all right!" Barret declared.

"And such a waste of good fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you…"

"VERMIN!" Barret shouted. "That's all ya can say… VERMIN! Ya'll Shinra're the VERMIN, killing the planet! And that makes ya King VERMIN! So shu'up jackass."

"You are beginning to bore me. I'm a very busy man, so if you'll excuse me… I have a dinner I must attend," Shinra stated, making an exaggerated bored look.

"Then have a good meal, I personally wish that you should choke on a hors d'oeuvre and asphyxiate," I responded, cutting off Barret.

Shinra shot another glare in my direction. "I have made arrangements for a playmate for you all." He then snapped his fingers.

Everyone heard the rumbling of the Airbuster as it approached, Zack shoved me to the side as he and Cloud jumped back, keeping the thing in front of them. Barret and Tifa pushed themselves against the sides of the walkway as the machine hovered past.

"Meet 'Airbuster', a techno-soldier. Our Weapon Development Department created him. I'm sure the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments."

"Techno-soldier?" Cloud asked as a helicopter approached.

"Now then, if you'll excuse me," Shinra finished as he climbed into the chopper.

Zack and Cloud stared after the helicopter, then Barret called, "We gotta do something 'bout him! We need to get back ta Marlene!"

"Is THIS from SOLDIER?" Tifa asked.

"No, just a machine!" Cloud called.

"Don't care what it is! I'm gonna bust him up!" Barret shouted and began to power up his gun. His heightened emotional state must have affected him because his first shot was his limit break Big Shot.

The machine seemed to stumble on its own rotor, then steadied out right in time for Zack to try his first attack.

Zack's sword was caught by one of the machine's arms and it tried to swipe at him with its other arm. Zack barely dodged, kicking off of the robo-soldier's torso. Tifa rushed in and punched the back of the mech, putting a small dent into the metal.

Cloud and I both launched bolt spells as soon as Tifa and Zack were clear, Barret firing a haze of bullets.

The soldier finally moved, firing a small missile at Tifa. She just barely dodged as Zack struck the robot's back. As the machine turned and counterattacked, I saw Tifa's dent had been deepened by Zack.

"The dent, aim for the dent!" I yelled at Barret as I threw a fire spell aimed specifically at the dent. Barret took my advice aimed his next barrage at the dent as well.

The machine turned again and counterattacked, slapping at both Barret and myself. Neither of us could get out of the way fast enough, the blow left me reeling for a moment. Luckily Cloud and Zack both attacked the back of the machine before it could attack again. I was able to get back to my feet, I ached a bit, but I'd be able to continue. Glancing at Barret, I pulled out a potion and shoved it into his hand, he was doubled obvious pain.

"Zack!" I heard Cloud yell, and I could just barely make out Zack's form fall, and I didn't wait. Focusing on the Restore, I cast a cure spell aimed for Zack. He rose to his feet a second later, breathing a little harder, but he seemed to be ok.

I threw another fire at the dent in Airbuster's back and was pleased to see it was warping. Barret's next round was glancing, but cracks started to appear.

Again the mech turned to swipe at us, this time I simply dropped to the ground and Airbuster's arm swiped harmlessly above me. Barret dodged backwards while Tifa rushed the machine head on and attempted to knock out the sensors on its head.

Behind the machine, Cloud cast another bolt, almost striking Tifa on accident while Zack cast ice.

As the mech turned once more, I used what was left of my magic to throw a final fire, and finally a huge crack appeared in the back of the robot. Barret immediately opened fire, bullets ricocheting into the tear on the robot's back, destroying circuitry.

The machine was wobbling like it was drunk. We were all banged up, but we would be fine.

"It's going to blow!" Zack yelled a moment too late for him and Cloud to get clear.

"Cloud!" Tifa yelled as the smoke dispersed and we could all see both of them. Cloud was hanging on to a twisted piece of metal; Zack had caught Cloud's leg. "Barret, isn't there anything you can do?"

"He can't fly Tifa!" I yelled at her as I stared at Zack and Cloud.

"But they can't die! I still have some things I want to tell Cloud!"

"We'll be fine!" Zack shouted back. "We'll get back to you guys in Sector 7, now go deal with that spy!"

"But…"

"You heard him, Tifa. We'll be fine! Now take care of yourselves."

"Alright, sorry 'bout this," Barret called, dropping a hand on both Tifa's and my shoulders, pulling us both away.

The reactor blew right as Cloud lost his grip, and Barret pulled us back onto the stairs back to the road.

Tifa was silent as we all jogged back to the train station, we all were actually. Even me, and I knew they would be alright.

"Wait, I don't have an I.D." I exclaimed as we got to the station.

"Not a problem," Barret replied as he pushed me onto the train. "They don't care who goes down, only who goes up."

"The spy will still be there," I stated as I collapsed on a bench. "He knew about AVALANCHE, claimed he worked for Don Corneo."

"Don Corneo? That pervert?" Tifa asked.

At my nod, Barret roared, "You left Marlene alone with the henchman of a pervert?"

"I couldn't get anything out of him other than he was looking for the location of AVALANCHE and that he reported his findings to his boss," I continued. "Maybe he'll be ready to talk when we get back."

"Or maybe I'll extract the information from the toad myself," Tifa stated, her voice cold as ice.

We arrived in the slums with no further problem, and the moment we were back in Seventh Heaven Tifa walked off to make a phone call right as Marlene dashed up to Barret, hugging his legs tightly.

"Papa, the bad man came and said that there was a trap and I made Rachas go warn you then he started yelling about how you all were going to die!" Marlene sobbed.

"Any idea who he's workin with?" Barret asked.

"It should be obvious, he knew about the trap set by Shinra," I pointed out. "And whatever happens now, Shinra will be responsible for. I think we should advise all residents to evacuate the sector, just to be careful."

"Evacuate Sector 7?" Glancing around, I noticed that Biggs and Wedge had joined us. "Do you know how many people you're talking about? Besides, what is the worst that Shinra could do?"

"I'm going to find out," Tifa declared as she reappeared, dressed in a tiny blue dress. "Corneo is behind this, so I'll go find out what it is that Shinra is planning."

I nodded. "While you do that, I'll see if Mr. Spy feels like talking yet."

"Ok, he's right where you left him. Jessie is watching him," Biggs said as I marched towards the back room. My opening of the door was punctuated by a scream of, "DON'T LET THAT CRAZY BITCH NEAR ME!"

"What do you think she did to him?" I heard Wedge ask before the door shut. My goal: make this guy talk, even if I have to use Jedi persuasion to do it, within the next ten minutes. We needed to start the evacuation, and we were down to about three hours now. My earlier torture was to soften him up so he'd hopefully spill the beans quickly. It was too bad that Marlene had heard the first part and stopped me before I could force that last, vital piece of information out.


	9. Chapter 9

Zas: (is eating a plate of brownies)

SA: Those were meant for Saria.

Zas: We're her muses; we should be allowed this stuff also.

Saria: Don't want it anyway.

Zas, SA, Tori: 0.0

Tori: Ok, now I'm worried.

zzzzzzzzzz

I had aimed to get the thug to squeal in ten minutes. He actually took more along the lines of three.

It started with me entering the room and instructing Jessie on how to hold the thread. Tarmin had screamed and swore until he realized that Jessie was only holding the thread under his nose, no pressure actually being applied.

Looking through the various items on the counter, I chose a long thin metal pin.

As I moved back to stand before Tarmin, he offered a weak sneer. "So, going to stick me now?" He asked as I moved behind the chair and grabbed one of his hands.

"Torture isn't just about large cuts and beatings," I told him in as even a tone as I could. "This pin for instance, though you don't think much of it, how would you like for me to shove it under your nail and push it until it reaches the root of your nail?"

The thug winced slightly and curled his fingers, he knew it would hurt.

"Doing such a thing would leave you open to so many possible infections, and there is the possibility of the nail being lost," I continued in a matter-of-fact tone. "Of course, you could just tell us what Shinra is planning and save yourself from the pain. I think you already know that you won't be able to go back to Don Corneo, and Shinra doesn't take too kindly to those who tell, which you've already done. So in the end, you've nothing to gain by not talking, just a lot of pain."

The spy was beginning to think about that, I could see it in his face.

"Maybe we should just extract what we want to know, and then leave you here, helpless to save yourself from whatever Shinra has planned." I punctuated the statement by forcing his fingers straight and pressing the pin under the tip of his nail, not digging in, but a bit of pressure would be all it would take.

"I'll tell you!" he shouted, uncaring of anything except insuring he wasn't hurt.

"Then talk!" Barret declared from the door.

"Shinra wants to drop the Sector 7 plate and finally wipe you guys out!" was the answer.

Barret's eyes went wide as he stared at the man. "They couldn't do that…"

"Barret," I spoke, standing from behind the spy, "you know that they can and will."

"How would you know?" Barret demanded. "The guy's got to be lying!"

"They blew up Banora!" I yelled, doing my best to sound as emotional as I could. I feigned taking several deep breaths while Barret and Jessie stared at me. "Shinra blew up Banora, and this guy has no reason to lie right now. He can't go back to Corneo or Shinra, they would kill him for squealing. He is just a low-class thug who sells his services for money, no loyalty beyond that."

Jessie stared for a few moments longer then turned to Barret. "She's right you know, he has no reason to lie."

"How?" Barret yelled, jumping into the room and grabbing the guy.

"Support column," was all that the former-spy could force out.

"We gotta save the column!" Barret declared as he rushed from the room. "Biggs, Wedge, Shinra is plannin to drop the plate! We gotta defend the support column!"

"What we have to do is plan for the possible worst case scenario!" I shouted as I ran back into the bar area with Jessie. "There are countless innocent lives at risk, both here in the slums and on the plate! We need to get people to evacuate!"

"We'll win!" Barret shouted back at me.

"Better safe than sorry!" I shouted right back. "This isn't bombing a reactor; Shinra could just shoot a missile or something!"

Barret actually stopped to think after my outburst, and then looked out the door. A few people were in view of the door and he knew there were plenty more beyond it.

"Would you stake your own daughter's life on a possibility, or a definite?" I asked, hopefully driving the last nail into the coffin.

Barret sighed, honest defeat on his face. "Biggs, take Jessie and Wedge and start evacuating. Get as many people out as you can. Rachas and I have a support to defend."

_With Cloud and Zack_

Cloud groaned as someone poked him and turned over. The poke came again moments later.

"Five more minutes…" he groaned, waving whoever it was away.

"You're crushing the flowers," a familiar voice said.

It took a bit of effort, but Cloud managed to force his eyes open. He was surprised to find himself lying on a bed of flowers, Zack squatting next to him grinning. Cloud then turned to meet Aeris's relieved face, she had apparently been the one awaken him.

"Good to see that you're both ok. Zack, we've got to stop meeting like this," the pink clad woman remarked with a smile.

Zack grinned, his hand automatically going to the back of his head as he got off the flowers, helping Cloud up as he went.

"You've fallen here before?" Cloud asked as they hobbled over to a bench.

"Yep, it's how Aeris and I met!"

"He crushed just as many flowers then as he did now," Aeris added with a note of affection.

"Talk about lucky," Cloud stated as he stood. Looking around the church, he found that it was pretty tumbledown, but it had an undeniably good feel to it. He did notice a shadow appear in the door though. Zack also noticed the figure that appeared.

"Reno of the Turks," he murmured.

Reno seemed to take a moment to look at Zack before his eyes went wide. "Fair? You're alive? Not like it matters too much, yo."

Aeris stared at the Turk, her own fear rising. He had come with soldiers.

"Zack," she whispered, "If you'll get me out of here, I'll owe you one date."

"You don't need to offer a price, but I'll accept it," Zack responded.

Both he and Cloud were reaching for their swords when Aeris called out, "Not here, you'll wreck the flowers!" She then turned and ran through a door to the back of the church.

"You heard her, come on Cloud," Zack declared, running after Aeris.

The three of them rushed to the back, through the debris and up the stairs. At a rather large gap, Cloud jumped across while Zack grabbed Aeris and jumped both of them across, right as the infantry opened fire upon them.

"Get the Ancient!" Zack heard the men shout, then the three of them were climbing another set of steep stairs into the rafters. Before exiting, Zack caught one last glimpse of Reno staring at them.

"I'm sorry," Aeris started. "They're after me now, would you mind taking me home?"

"That would probably not be the best idea," Zack responded. "With the Turks after you, they'll know where you live and will go there."

"I have to let my mother know what happened," Aeris argued. "Let her know that I'm safe."

Zack and Cloud shared a look then nodded to one another. "I see no problem," Cloud admitted.

Aeris bounced slightly, happy that they agreed.

"Ok," Zack relented, "We'll go see your mother, let her know that you're fine, and then we'll take you back with us. Rachas must be about to climb the walls," the dark haired swordsman said as he jumped to another piece of debris then helped Aeris down.

"Didn't she say something about a spy?" Cloud asked as he easily kept pace, following Zack's path to the ground.

"I'm sure that she'll be just fine," Zack responded. "And we'll be back in Sector 7 soon enough."

Zack and Cloud ran after Aeris to the Sector 5 market, then through to a little used road. To their surprise, the road led to a very nice house with a massive garden behind it. Zack stared at the greenery in slight shock, then remembered his conversation with Cissnei on how Aeris was the last Ancient in the world. He really didn't understand how someone who grew flowers could be considered so important to Shinra.

"So, finally meeting Aeris's mother?" Cloud asked with a smile as he stared out at the garden himself.

"She's sure to love me!" Zack declared, not feeling anywhere near as confident as he hoped he appeared. Cloud laughed at Zack's declaration then trooped towards the garden while the former SOLDIER entered the house to meet Aeris's mother.

Aeris's mother, Elmyra, welcomed Zack into her home rather warmly.

"Welcome, you must be Zack. Aeris just went upstairs for a moment. She's told me a lot about you."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Gainsborough," Zack replied as politely as he could.

"So, Shinra attempted to take Aeris again?" she asked.

"Yeah, we got her away safely, but we think that it would be safer for her to spend the next couple days with us. We have several female friends that she can stay with," Zack offered.

"She told me. She also told me how you used to be with Shinra, as a SOLDIER. And that you left," Elmyra's eyes softened a bit. "She told me something bad happened to you and a friend, but nothing else."

Zack heard footsteps above then that were approaching the staircase; then Aeris came down the steps, a small bag in hand.

Aeris and Elmyra embraced then Aeris promised, "I'll be back, Zack and Cloud will watch out for me."

"I know, but I'm still going to tell you to stay safe," the older woman replied.

Cloud emerged from the garden as they exited the house. "I found a cover materia and ether back there," he said. "Would you mind if we brought Tifa and Rachas here some time? I think they both really like flowers."

Aeris's eyes brightened, "We can bring them next time!"

Zack laughed then wrapped an arm across Aeris's shoulders as they left the house then walked through the Sector 5 market. Zack was certain that he recognized the boy from some years ago who had picked his pocket.

"Hey, how is that pick-pocket kid doing? Do I actually have to give him the "Biggest-Lecture-He-Ever-Received or did he learn his lesson?"

Cloud, who was walking beside him raised an eyebrow at Zack. "Pick-pocket?"

"A local boy got desperate and took Zack's wallet. Zack managed to get the boy's money back though," Aeris explained. "He's doing well now; he wants to become a merchant."

"Good for him!" Zack replied with a grin. They were quickly approaching the playground that was just outside of Sector 7.

"So, Cloud, is Tifa your girlfriend?" Aeris suddenly asked.

Cloud, who had been feeling a bit awkward, instantly blushed. "No, not really. We're really old friends is all."

"What about Rachas? Does she have anyone special?"

"I don't know," Zack replied, wondering himself. "Aside from saying she is from Banora, we don't know anything about her."

"Nothing?" Aeris asked.

Before an answer could be given, the Sector 7 gates clanged open and a chocobo pulling a rather gaudy cart came through. A woman in a skimpy blue dress stood on the back of the cart.

"Tifa!" Cloud exclaimed as the cart rolled away toward Wall Market.

"That was Tifa?" Aeris asked.

"Yeah, that was," Zack confirmed as Cloud took off after the cart. "Let's go."

The trio ran after the cart but lost it soon after arriving on Wall Market. Unsure of where it could have gone, the three began to ask around. A few minutes later they found themselves outside of the Honeybee, a brothel.

"Have you heard of a girl named Tifa," Cloud asked one of the men.

"You move fast, don't you? Tifa's the newest girl! So new, she's still being interviewed at Don Corneo's mansion," the man replied as he glanced at Aeris with a lecherous smile.

"Alright," Cloud said as he turned and led the others away, Zack punching the pervert in the face as he left. Cloud led the way to the mansion, asking several people along the way who pointed them in the general direction. They were stopped the door by a guard.

"Hold it! The Don don't like men."

"Is there a girl named Tifa in there?"

"The Don don't like- hey, you got a cute one with you!" The guard turned his attention to Aeris. "You can enter."

Aeris turned to Zack and Cloud. "I'll go find Tifa."

"You're not going in there alone," Zack whispered to Aeris.

"What about if we went and got Rachas or Jessie?" Cloud offered.

"There's no time," Aeris stated, then looked at Cloud a bit more closely. "What if we dressed Cloud up as a girl?"

"W-what?" Cloud uttered in shock.

Zack contemplated the idea for a moment then took a good look at his friend. "He might be able to pull it off."

"Why not get Rachas? She's an actual girl!"

"Because we'd have to dress her up just like we would with you, and we'd waste time by going to get her from Sector 7. Besides, do you actually think she'd be there? She probably went looking for us!"

"It really would be faster for you to dress up, Cloud," Aeris stated.

"O-ok, I'll do it," Cloud agreed.

Aeris turned to the guard, "I'm going to get a friend of mine."

"Alright, we need a dress and a wig," Zack stated as they departed.

"Those are the minimum," Aeris replied. "Luckily I know where there's a nice dress shop, and it's not far from here."

They made their way to the dress shop, which proved to be right up the street from Corneo's mansion. Upon entering, the woman attending the shop greeted them.

"We'd like a dress," Aeris told the woman.

"I'm sorry, the dressmaker, my father, isn't making dresses at the moment, he's drinking in the bar up the street. Please, could you talk to him?"

"Sure, we really need that dress," Zack stated as he pushed a slightly pouting Cloud out the door.

In the bar, neither Zack nor Cloud heard what Aeris told the dressmaker, but Cloud did notice a man performing the pee-pee-dance outside the bathroom. When he knocked on the door, he heard grunting and a woman's voice yell out, "I'm not done yet!"

"Hey, Zack remember those coupons we got from the restaurant a few days ago that Rachas exchanged for medicine at the pharmacy?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it. Does someone in there need help?"

"I think so," Cloud answered.

Zack sighed then reached into his pack and after a little searching found a medication labeled "Digestive". He passed it to Cloud who in turn passed it to the woman in the toilet.

"Thanks," she responded and tossed out a small bottle. Glancing at the bottle as he caught it, Cloud read "Sexy Cologne". He shrugged but put the bottle in his pack right as Aeris approached them.

"The tailor has agreed to make the dress, and even told me where we can obtain a wig!" she told them excitedly. "The gym is right across the street."

Inside the gym were a number of brawny men and lots of equipment. They were greeted by a man with a 5 o'clock shadow dressed as a woman.

"Hi, are you the one who wants to be cute?" he asked Zack.

"Nope, that's him!" Zack responded as he hauled Cloud in front of him.

"Hello sweetie," the man said as he looked Cloud up and down.

"Aren't you the Beautiful Bro?" Aeris asked, sensing Cloud's discomfort. "Will you be giving us a wig?"

"Not giving, you need to win it," the bro responded as he signaled one of his bros to come forward. "You can win it in a squatting contest!"

"No problem!" Cloud responded.

"Bro's wig will be mine!" his opponent announced.

"The one to do the most squats within the time limit will be the winner," the cross-dresser announced. "And start!"

The pair almost seemed evenly matched until they passed ten squats. Then Cloud's opponent started to look confused and slowed down significantly. Though he did an occasional squat, there really was no contest in the end over who did more.

"Good work Cloud! Just what you would expect from a SOLDIER!" Zack congratulated his friend as he spun the blond wig he had won on a finger.

"Yes, but now Cloud needs a bath. You both do actually," Aeris pointed out. "You're both covered in dust and dirt."

Zack and Cloud looked at themselves and had to admit that she was right. They had dust, dirt, even residual flower leaves all over their clothes.

"Guess I do need a bath if we're going to pull this off," Cloud admitted.

"I think I know exactly where we can get cleaned up! Aeris, would you wait for us at the dress shop?" Aeris agreed and Zack promptly grabbed Cloud's arm and headed off.

"Where are we heading?" Cloud asked as he followed Zack.

"The Honeybee Inn, they are certain to have showers!" Zack declared as they turned down another alley, and then a man jumped out in front of them.

"If you're going to the Honeybee Inn, you'll need a member card. Take mine, don't need it anymore," the man thrust the card into Zack's hand.

"Ok…" Zack muttered as he looked at the card.

"Let's just get this over with," Cloud marched past him toward the entrance to the building.

As the two approached, a bouncer thrust out his arm with a demand of, "Membership card."

Zack flashed the card and both men were let in, then approached by a very harried looking woman wearing the Honeybee uniform.

"Oh poo… I mean sir, hurry! Which room do you choose?"

"Do you have a room where we could get a bath?" Zack asked while Cloud wandered around and peaked into the keyholes. He saw Cloud shudder several times, particularly by one door and come back murmuring about old people.

"Umm… The Group Room has a bath tub," the girl offered.

"Ok, we'll take that one," Zack and Cloud approached the door labeled Group.

The Honeybee opened the door. "This way, please. Shall we begin? I guess since you chose this room, that would mean you… Hate being lonely?"

Zack checked out the room, spying the tub. "Alright, we got what we need. You can leave now."

"All right, all right. Come on, everyone!" the Honeybee called out.

"One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! Yeah!"

Cloud jumped back while Zack stared wide-eyed as a number of men ran into the room.

" Wassup!" One of the men declared with a bright grin.

Cloud was in shock, Zack stared in abject horror. Cloud finally spoke what was on both of their minds. "I'm outta here. I've got no time to mess around with you. Outta my way!"

"We just needed a bath, not all of this!" Zack joined in as he attempted to run through the men with Cloud only to be caught by the almost naked mass.

"…heave…pant… Don't be so embarrassed! Loosen up, bubby! …heave…pant…

Let's wash off all our sweat and dirt together!" The lead homo panted.

" Wassup!" The rest yelled.

Cloud and Zack found themselves being stripped by the men that surrounded them.

"Cloud, I'm never going to complain ever again if Rachas tries to make us strip for laundry," Zack said, Cloud nodding his agreement as he blushed and attempted to cover himself.

The movement of the group then turned toward the tub, Zack and Cloud pulled along with them into the water.

"Isn't bathing great…? It soothes your heart. How is it, bubby! Feels good, huh?"

Cloud, who was practically sitting in Zack's lap because of their efforts to put space between themselves and the other men, looked green. "…I don't feel good. Let me out…"

"You'll get used to it. Try counting to ten," the leading guy soothed as he attempted to squeeze in with the two.

"He said now," Zack stated.

"Hey bubby, how old are you?"

"Twenty one…" Cloud replied, his green color seemed to be getting worse.

"You're less than half my age. I'm so jealous. So how 'bout it...? Do you wanna join my "Young bubby's" group?"

"We're getting out, NOW," Zack declared forcefully as he attempted to climb over the edge of the tub.

"Well, if that's how you feel…too bad. We have a trip planned at a cabin out in the country."

Cloud wasted no time, dragging himself out of the tub as soon as Zack was clear and able to cover for him.

"Why don't you stick around and play a bit? Daddy's so lonely…" Both Zack and Cloud were green as they hastily pulled their clothes on.

"Bubby! This is important to me! Here's a memento of our time together!" A pair of underwear floated over and landed on Zack's head.

"These better not be the pair he was wearing," Zack growled as he ripped the offending garment off. "Cloud, let's see if one of the girls will apply some make-up. You'll never convince anyone you're a girl with a face as green as yours is right now." Zack dragged Cloud to the backroom, where a number of the girls were getting ready for their shifts. Though she found the request strange, she painted Cloud's face.

Both men literally ran from the Honeybee Inn after that, mainly because they saw the "Group" of the Group Room as they left.

Aeris was waiting at the dress shop like she said she would be, and the owner reported that the dress, amazingly enough, was finished.

"That was incredibly fast," Zack commented as Cloud took the clothes and the wig and went into the changing room.

"My father was feeling motivated," the attendant explained. "I actually have something for your friend, for helping to snap my father out of his rut." She opened a box on the counter to reveal a diamond tiara. "My old boyfriend gave it to me, but we broke up and I never liked it."

"It'll look so good on him! Now if only we had some perfume or cologne," Aeris stated.

"We have some." Rifling through Cloud's pack, Zack pulled out the Sexy cologne and handed it to Aeris.

"Perfect!" Aeris exclaimed, and as soon as Cloud emerged from the changing room, she quickly affixed the tiara to his head and lightly sprayed him with the cologne.

Cloud looked very convincing, but he didn't look at all pleased. He pouted slightly next to Zack as Aeris chose a dress herself and changed.

"I'll leave you guys here and head back," Zack stated as he escorted the two "girls" to Corneo's mansion. "Find Tifa then head back."

Cloud and Aeris nodded before heading into the mansion.

_Back with Rachas_

From the top of the support column, both Barret and I witnessed the mass exodus occurring in the Sector 7 slums. People flooded the exits, belongings thrown in sacks, suitcases, or just left behind all together. The tide was ebbing a bit, and according to my watch, we still had one hour before Shinra would officially show up.

Thus far we had only had to deal with the troopers that looked like they were holding rotors. I did my best to save my strength, replying on my tantō and some rather cheap and dirty moves to knock troopers off the column that got around Barret's bullets.

"Barret, I brought you extra ammo!" A voice called out from the stairs right as I used my tantō to slice a robot's hand off then shoved it over the railing. Glancing over, I confirmed that Biggs had arrived, and he had brought a whole crate of Barret's ammo.

"How's the evac?" Barret called as he took out the last of the wave of troopers we were currently experiencing. If the patterns held true to what they had done thus far, we'd have a fifteen minute breather.

"Half of the slum has been evacuated, the other half just refuses to leave, the plate we've had near to no progress on."

I groaned, thousands of people who wouldn't leave without absolute proof. Unfortunately, that proof would arrive too late for many of them.

"Keep trying! Has Marlene been taken out?"

"Jessie took her to the playground and told her to stay there. It's just outside of Sector 7, so it should be safe."

"Good!" Barret responded.

I nodded myself. Up unto this point, I had used our brief breaks to reach out and check on Zack and Cloud. During my last check I had seen them in a bathtub together. This time, as things quieted, as I reached out for their locations, I found that Zack was on his way back to Sector 7. Good, we could use his help up here.

_With Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris_

"And I choose… This healthy looking girl!" The red blob yelled excited as he pointed at Cloud.

'Oh fucking hell!' Cloud thought as he was certain his complexion turned greener than it had been at the Honeybee Inn.

"Her?" Both Aeris and Tifa exclaimed, both in disbelief that a guy could be chosen over them.


	10. Chapter 10

Saria: Man… I hated April fool's Day.

Zas: Because the nurse played a joke and said you should be good to go?

Tori: And you promptly jumped up and attempted to run down the stairs?

Saria: (Glares)

SA: All you did was collapse on the stairs, so write.

zzzzzzzzzz

The brief break that Barret and I had came to an end far too quickly. We were rationing potions and ethers strictly, intent to keep this going for as long as we could. As that next wave approached, I glanced at my watch, we had another 45 minutes based upon my estimations.

Barret's gun blazed as another squad of ten heli-troopers approached, taking two down almost immediately. I drew my tantō before the first of them landed and called to the power to help, and the movements of the first trooper seemed to slow by half. Not wasting a second, I slashed the tantō at the thin looking midsection of the machine, cutting deeply into the machine. Unfortunately that didn't kill it.

The sharp propeller came down in retaliation to my strike and though I jumped back, I still received long gashes on my leg and arm. Yelping, I couldn't help the sudden shock of anger that invaded my mind.

"Damn you…" I murmured, my hands moving automatically in front of me. The power was already there, and it flowed wildly through me and out of my fingertips in bolts of blue lightning. I stared, shocked as the lightning fried four of the troopers. I had just used a Sith technique! This was wrong, it was a dark technique! Yet it didn't feel wrong or addicting to be honest, it felt almost the exact same as the Jedi techniques.

I was so wrapped up in my musings; I failed to notice the robot that approached from behind until it knocked me over with a slap. My head was reeling, but I felt the power still and it gave me the presence of mind to roll to the side.

I stumbled to my feet to find the Zack had arrived and had already sliced the robot cleanly in half.

"Good lightning spell, but you'll want to pay more attention!" He called as he finished off the last of this wave of robots.

"You're late!" Barret yelled. "Now keep on yur toes! Shinra's gonna try to drop the plate!"

"I heard from Jessie!" Zack called back as he shoved the remains of the robots off the tower. "She said to tell you that people are beginning to notice all the robot troopers and are getting nervous. Evacuation is picking up. The slum is mostly evacuated and the plate is beginning to do the same. Shinra troopers are beginning to show up though and are trying to get people to return to their homes."

"DAMN IT!" I yelled. I was beyond frustrated; Shinra was trying to undo what we were doing, or hindering it at least. I had just used a dark technique, even if unintentionally. And we still had two more waves of troopers to go at best, nowhere near enough time for a complete evacuation. Rifling through my pockets, I looked for a potion to treat my injuries. I had one, but that was it. Drinking the strange drink was not entirely pleasant, it had a vaguely chemical taste to it, but my wounds healed quickly.

"Zack, how are you on potions and ethers?" I called.

"I got ten potions and three ethers," he replied after checking his pack. "Where's your pack?"

I thought back and groaned. I had left it on the chair in Seventh Heaven. It had all my money, I.D.s, logbook, Kindle, everything I owned!

"Nothing we can do about it now, but I hope one of the guys grabbed it for me," I replied.

Zack stared at me for a moment then ran over to the edge of the tower. "BIGGS!" he shouted, causing me to jump. "RACHAS LEFT HER BAG IN THE BAR! SEND SOMEONE TO GET IT!"

"Zack, they're assisting an evacuation! Don't bother them!" I groaned as I marched over and dragged Zack away from the side of the platform by his ear.

Barret roared with laughter as he watched the way I pulled Zack away, and Zack's yelps didn't help him to calm down at all.

"Any idea how much longer we have until they get serious?" Zack asked.

"A little under 40 minutes," I replied. "And I base that upon when they wanted the spy to check in.

"So they could get serious any minute now," Zack replied as he kicked a shred of scrap metal. "These troops were probably meant to clear the way as well as send back information on whatever resistance is here."

"Ya mean this ain't serious?" Barret demanded.

"Barret, if they were, we wouldn't be getting breaks, we'd be fighting nonstop." I scanned the visible airspace around us, checking for the next wave of troopers as well as for helicopters before I directed my thoughts and attention towards Cloud and Aeris, pushing the power to let me see them.

_With Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris_

Corneo had been more than happy to talk with the right… encouragement. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to get away as easily, instead being dumped into the sewer through a trap door in Corneo's room. Cloud preferred the sewer, and the welcoming that they received from a resident of the sewers.

Now he, Tifa, and Aeris were just exiting the sewers from a grate they had found, straight into a train graveyard.

"We've got to hurry back to Sector 7," Tifa announced as soon as they were all out.

The route to leave the yard wasn't straight; the three of them had to get creative several times to get around some of the piles of junk and the wrecked trains. At one point Cloud found himself activating the old engines to help create a path.

They were finally reaching the intersection that would lead to the support column when they ran into Biggs and Jessie.

"How could you let her go?" Jessie screamed at Biggs. "We don't know when that plate might fall!"

"I didn't want her to go, she just heard the loud-mouth when he yelled and went running off!" Biggs was in a defensive position.

"What's going on?" Tifa demanded as they approached.

"Tifa, Shinra is goi-"

"Drop the plate of the Sector, I know! What were you yelling about?"

"Zack yelled down from the top about 20 minutes ago that Rachas had left her pack in Seventh Heaven and wanted someone to go get it. Biggs yelled for Wedge to go get it, he told me to get it, and then Zack yelled down about it again a few minutes ago, none of us had it, so Marlene ran to go get it!"

Tifa turned immediately to Aeris. "Please go to a bar called the Seventh Heaven and get a little girl who should be there, her name's Marlene."

"Alright," Aeris replied then froze as though she were hearing something. Reaching back into her braid, they watched as she disentangled a white materia. "Give this to Rachas when you see her, and tell her I expect it to be returned," she told Tifa as she handed her the materia then took off towards the bar.

_Normal_

We were all starting to get antsy at the top of the plate. The main reason was that after one more wave of troopers, the column had not been openly attacked. We saw some of the troops land on lower levels of the tower, but they didn't advance. Around the tower even more circled. Barret shot at them until I advised him to save his ammunition.

Wha're they doin?" Barret demanded as he looked over the side of the tower as well.

"It's a tactic meant to either slow down or prevent an escape." Zack left the balcony and walked to the center of the platform. "They're about to get serious."

I glanced down and spied Cloud and Tifa as they began their climb of the tower. This was literally about to be it. "Tifa and Cloud are here, they just started to climb." The report drew a smile from Zack, then his face turned serious.

"Is Aeris with them?"

"Nope," I replied as I pushed off from the balcony and walked to be a bit more centered on the platform. The controls were just to my left now; hopefully I'd be able to keep Reno away from them for several minutes.

All of us looked up as a "Thwump, thwump, thwump," noise filled the air. The Shinra helicopter was just coming into sight now. I took a deep breath as my heart began to pound hard in my chest; I still had no ideas or plans other than keep-away.

Barret started to fire as soon as they were within range of him, forcing the pilot to start evading. The chopper wasn't getting any closer, but Barret would not be able to keep this up. Several minutes passed and then Cloud and Tifa finally joined us on the platform.

"Rachas," Tifa called as she caught her breath. "Aeris said… to give this to you… And that she'll… want it back," She gasped out as she passed a white materia to me.

Wide-eyed, I accepted the materia then looked out hoping to find Aeris's form.

Below us, Sector 7 looked like a ghost town.

Barret had to stop to reload, and the pilot for that infernal helicopter wasted no time in overflying the platform and Reno jumped down, heading straight for the controls.

I couldn't breathe for a second, but I could act. The power surrounded me again and as he attempted to stop so he could activate the plate drop program, I PUSHED.

Reno's eyes went wide as he skidded past the controls, propelled by a force he couldn't see.

Tifa, Cloud, and Zack jumped into action immediately, racing towards the Turk. Reno retaliated by drawing his EMR and immediately casting pyramid on Zack.

"Just try to break it!" He challenged.

Neither Tifa nor Cloud ceased with their attacks. As Tifa threw a punch and Cloud lifted his sword, I moved over to Zack and sliced at the pyramid with my tantō, causing it to shatter instantly.

"The chopper left," Barret reported as he moved to try to get a clear shot at Reno.

Reno was definitely one thing, fast. I watched as he dodged Tifa's punch and maneuvered around Cloud's sword. Zack jumped in then, very strong but not as fast as Reno.

"Gotcha!" Reno crowed as his EMR sparked and smacked down on Zack's extended arm. Zack yelped and jumped back a bit, grabbing sword with the opposite hand as pins and needles raced through the shocked arm.

Cloud replaced him immediately, sword catching Reno's follow-up swing, while Tifa jumped out of the way so Barret could his clear shot without fear.

Glancing over at the controls, I cast an ice spell on the ground before the controls. Hopefully if Reno got by all of us he'd slip and we'd have an opportunity to stop him again.

Reno disengaged from Cloud, casting pyramid on the blond swordsman, as he jumped back to avoid Barret's barrage, heading toward Tifa. She landed the first blow, a punch that really must of hurt if Reno's momentary wince was anything to go by.

Running forward, I again sliced a pyramid, this time freeing Cloud. Glancing over, I saw that Tifa was attempting to hold off Reno, but she was unarmed and he had the EMR. As she threw a punch, he'd attempt to catch her arm with that blasted weapon, and when he attacked, she either had to dodge or catch his wrist. Once again, she was stronger, he was faster. Currently they were in a stalemate with her holding his left arm in a vice grip, keeping his EMR out of the fight, while both used their opposite arm to try to launch or block attacks.

Seizing the opportunity, I rushed forward with my tantō, intending to strike Reno in the left side. As I chambered for the strike though, Reno managed to twist his fist around, nicking Tifa with that EMR, stunning her long enough for him to knock her away.

I didn't stop, I couldn't, he was distracted. Flipping the tantō into a backhanded grip, I punched, intending to catch him in the side. Unfortunately, the red head saw me at last second and fell back, but I did manage to open a long gash in his arm before he retreated too far.

I followed his retreat, my left hand grabbing the tantō intended for it in a backhanded grip, and I threw a quick series of punches. I knew full and well my form was a bit sloppy, but I was desperate and also knew Reno couldn't chance trying to catch my arms except in a straight forward fashion, so I kept my arms curved and moved in a back-fist circular pattern.

After three attempted punches Reno got around my guard and slashed the EMR at my chest, catching my shoulder.

So how I managed to hold onto the tantō as I disengaged, a hail of bullets covering my retreat. Then I felt myself freeze, I couldn't move any part of me at all. The pyramid spell!

Reno then got a good look at my face.

"Hey, you're that pilot we've been looking for, yo!" he accused after getting a good look. "Who'da ever thought you'd be joining with an anti-Shinra terrorist group?"

Tifa freed me then by punching the pyramid, and I wasted no time with my response.

"You claim we're the terrorists, yet it seems we're the ones fighting to keep you from dropping the plate and murdering thousands of people. Who sounds more like a terrorist?"

Reno's eyes narrowed and part of me almost felt like he did regret what he was about to do. Then he jumped forward with a shout, EMR sparking.

Cloud intercepted him, sword once again catching the EMR as I threw a fire spell.

A heavy THUMP behind me caused me to turn around right in time to catch a fist in the stomach. I was instantly wheezing and seeing stars, unable to stay on my feet. My vision was near non-existent as I sank to my knees, I didn't know who hit me like that, but I did see a pair of black shoes head for the controls then slip on the ground that I had frozen.

'We just needed a bit more time,' I thought. 'If only I could freeze ti…' My eyes caught the pillar then, and the way the ice I had made clung to the pillar. 'Freeze the pillar…'

'_You seem to finally have an idea.'_ All around me, all movement seemed to cease and my head began to clear. Glancing up, I saw Reno was at the controls, finger already pressing what I could only guess was the detonate button.

If I could freeze the pillar, I could reinforce it for a few minutes, hundreds, if not thousands more could escape!

'_Do you have the power to do that?'_ The voice asked, a touch of playfulness present.

I glanced down at my pocket where I had placed Aeris's materia. A faint light was glowing and my pocket felt warm. Gaia was talking to me through Holy! But she was right; I didn't have the power to freeze the entire pillar. Even if I could use the Lifestream to give me Jedi abilities, I did have my limits!

'_Remember what I said, know what it is that you want to achieve and let go,'_ she instructed.

'I don't have the capacity, not yet. Help me,' I responded.

'_Why? Destiny indicates that they should die, you've already saved far more than I thought you would.'_

'You said save as many as I can, help me save a few more! Please!'

Silence prevailed for a moment. _'Would you accept a trade?'_

My stomach immediately went cold. 'What do you want?' I prayed that she wouldn't demand that I give up on my home.

'_Relax; I wouldn't demand that in order for my children to be given the chance to survive. What I want is honesty from you.'_

'Honesty? I can't tell everyone where I actually come from!'

'_You need only be honest on subjects that don't jeopardize your identity.'_

I didn't even think of it, I simply stated, 'Deal.' All around me, the world began to speed up to normal. The ringing in my ears faded.

Whoever had been on the platform with Reno had already jumped by the time I regained my feet, Reno not far behind them. The power of the Lifestream was thumping in my head though, a flood that was trying to break loose.

_Zack's pov_

Rude had gotten the drop on Rachas, fist slamming into her stomach before she even knew what was happening. I didn't get an opportunity to aid her because Reno chose then to again trap me with a pyramid spell. Then as Rude kept Tifa and Cloud busy, Reno raced to the tower controls, evading Barret's bullets as he did so and slipping on ice that was covering the ground before the controls.

"Too late now, I just need to hit this button," Reno announced as his finger hit one particular button on the console.

"No!" Tifa yelled as she shoved past Reno as he made his way to the railing.

Barret came over and smashed the pyramid that surrounded him as Cloud approached Tifa.

"I can't deactivate it!" Tifa announced as he noticed Rachas slowly rising to her feet.

THWUMP THWUMP THWUMP! The helicopter was back, and I instantly recognized Tseng standing in the open door of the craft. Tseng didn't show any sign of recognition of me though.

"That's right. You'll have a hard time disarming that one. It'll blow the second some stupid jerk touches it."

"Stop this!" Cloud ordered. "There are innocent people here."

"Only a Shinra Executive can set up or disarm the Emergency Plate Release System." Zack growled lowly at Tseng's nonchalant reply to the sacrifice of thousands of innocent lives.

"Shut yer hole!" Barret bellowed as he opened fire on the chopper.

"I wouldn't try that… You just might injure our special guest." Tseng stepped aside to reveal a figure we all knew.

"Aeris!" I yelled right along with Cloud and Tifa.

"What are you going to do to her?" I continued.

"I haven't decided. Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time, but now I can finally report this to the President." Tseng almost seemed pleased.

"Tifa, don't worry, she's alright!" Aeris yelled from the chopper only for Tseng to slap her.

"Don't touch her!" I yelled.

"You need to hurry and get out!" Aeris managed to call.

"Well, it should be starting right about now. Think you can escape in time?" The helicopter flew off then and we all saw a portion of the support.

The entire platform began to shake violently, as we all looked for a means of escape.

"Yo, we can use this wire to get out!" Barret grabbed the wire in a Tarzan like fashion, Tifa immediately jumped onto the wire in front of Barret, Cloud took the right shouder, I took the left, but someone was missing…

"RACHAS!" Tifa yelled, and we all glanced back to see her moving towards the pillar as though possessed.

"I'll get her!" Cloud shouted over the rumbling but he never got the chance. A particularly violent shudder caused Barret to lose his footing and then we were all falling, the wire snapping taunt and hurdling us over the heads of a multitude of lingering evacuees, and out the sector gate.

None of us could tear our eyes away from the sight of what was going on at the top of that pillar. An enormous font of green light appeared that turned a brilliant ice blue that encased the pillar, then we were out the gate and lost sight.

_Normal_

All around me, within me, everywhere, the power of the Lifestream throbbed. I needed to freeze that pillar and I couldn't hold the ocean that pounded against me. My ice materia…

'_Let go.' _I raised the materia and released the flood.

Everything, I saw everything. I felt everything. I was everything and everyone. The masses of people above who screamed at the first tremor and even now ran for the gates to another sector, the last lingering couple hundred in the slum below. In every direction were people that I knew despite never having met. My entire conscience was ultra aware, and I couldn't feel myself. I was being crushed!

But I also knew the ice that sped up the pillar, temporarily filling in for the blown out areas of the support, reinforcing it.

Finally, the flood seemed to run its course and I was just me again. Before me the pillar was frozen solid all the way to the peak. I couldn't stop the fall, but I had definitely bought time! An extra 20 minutes at least!

As I turnied to where the others should be, I was met with a new problem. I was beyond exhausted! My vision was going dark around the edges and my limbs were too heavy. I couldn't move!

My body hit the ground but I didn't hear it, barely felt it. I could only stare at the frozen pillar which is the direction my head was facing.

Time had no meaning in that state, I could have lain there for hours, but I seriously doubted that I was there for longer than three minutes before I felt footsteps then a set of hands grabbed me and hauled me over someone's shoulder, knocking the breath out of me and blurring my vision again. Movement occurred, my vision cleared, and to my dismay I was staring at a black suit.

Whoever was carrying me jumped the railing and once again I was jarred when they landed, my breath knocked out and vision blurred. Several moments later, as my crushed diaphragm recovered, I felt a gentle hand on mine. Blinking, I saw Aeris was staring at me, concern deeply written in her eyes.

"Outted?" I managed to rasp.

She shrugged, a finger at her lips telling me to be quiet. "Cameras caught you; they received a call to take you also."

I managed to give her hand a gentle squeeze before someone slapped our hands apart.

"No talking." Tseng seemed to be in a slightly foul mood. Just past him, through the open side door of the helicopter, Midgar flashed past. First the slums, then open air, then the city proper, climbing all the while.

The chopper landed and Tseng took Aeris by the arm, pulling her from the helicopter. Rude in turn grabbed me, dragging me to my feet despite the fact I really couldn't walk. I spied Reno as he limped away.

"So, you brought the specimens," a familiar slimy voice asked. Barely able to raise my head, I looked up just in time to see a needle get shoved into my arm and blood drawn. "I'm most eager to find out what this particular specimen is."

All I managed was a groan as Aeris and I were dragged into Shinra's HQ then into an elevator.

I was now the one thing I had never wanted to be, ever: the girl who needed rescuing.

_With Zack, Cloud, Tifa, and Barret_

Zack glanced over at Cloud as they left the Seventh Heaven for the last time, making sure that they had all their stuff. Neither believed they would be back. Tifa and Barret were already outside, Barret eager to go.

"Where do you think she took Marlene?"

Zack and Cloud glanced at one another; there were only two possible places: her house or the church.

"I think I know," Zack stated as he walked towards the Sector exit.

Tifa glanced at the frozen pillar, a chill running up her spine. "I can see why they'd take Rachas, but why Aeris?"

"Aeris is an Ancient," Zack replied automatically. "The last of her kind. I've known her for years and Shinra was watching her even back then."

"Why?" Cloud asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. After we find Marlene, I'm going to get Aeris and Rachas."

Zack picked up the pace after that, practically running all the way to the Sector 5 market, then down the road to where he knew Aeris's house was. They all arrived at the house and Barret froze for a moment, then entered the house as everyone else seemed torn over how to tell Aeris's mother. Zack entered on his heel.

"Mrs. Gainsborough, I'm really sorry…"

"It's about Aeris, isn't it?"

"You already knew?" Cloud asked as he entered.

"They took her from here."

"I know that Aeris is an Ancient, but why would they want her?"

"They're after something that only an Ancient can find, the Promised Land."

_Shinra_

Hojo was making a list of the various tests they needed to perform now that they had the last Ancient as a specimen. He also was organizing a list for the anomaly they had found in the slums. He was eager to find out what that one was, the moment that it had started the spell that froze the pillar; all the reactors in Midgar had a sharp decrease in power. Was it possible that this specimen could tap straight into the Lifestream?

An assistant approached him, a file in hand. "Professor, the results you asked for."

Hojo eagerly grabbed the file and flipped it open. The results were almost disappointing. An Ancient. He already had one for crying out loud!

"Send these results to the president," he ordered the assistant, tossing the file back to the man. He had been hoping for something spectacular, though what this particular one had managed would be considered amazing. Maybe he could force another feat out of it.


	11. Chapter 11

Saria: FINALLY OUT!

SA: Zas, get a wheelchair, she's about to try to skip.

Tori: (tackles Saria)

SA: You just started being able to hobble around again, no strenuous activities.

The song in this chapter is "Still Alive" by Lisa Miskovsky. I don't own.

zzzzzzzzzzzz

The Turks shoved Aeris and me into a cell on the 67th floor without ceremony upon our arrival and left. Unable to even support myself, I fell into a heap on the floor.

"Rachas, you ok?" Aeris asked as she tried to help me into a sitting position.

"I'm fine, just used way too much energy."

"You called on the Lifestream for help, didn't you?" I didn't bother to answer, she already knew the truth. "Why are you so drained then?"

"I'm still used as a conductor. Just need to sleep now," I replied as my eyes drooped.

"Let's get you on the cot." Aeris tried to help me climb onto the slab that would serve as our bed, but I had no energy to pull myself up and I was too heavy for her to lift. Instead of the slab, I was arranged on the floor with Aeris's small jacket used as a pillow.

We slept that night uninterrupted, both of us recovering what little strength we could before whatever was planned for us in the morning.

As my body recovered, my mind was free to roam. I first focused on Cloud, Zack, Tifa, and Barret. I found them to be at Aeris's house, planning how they were going to try to rescue Aeris and myself. Zack had already listed which floors he knew and remembered, even tried calling several people he had known.

I switched over to Sector 7 then, and I wasn't surprised to find that the plate had fallen. The ruins had the haunted feel of death, but they didn't reek of it. It seemed like relatively few died in the grand scheme of things.

Having seen all I felt I needed, I allowed myself to just drift. I was joined by another after a moment, Aeris. I could feel her.

We both woke in the cell minutes later, Aeris staring down at me from the cot. She seemed almost happy.

"Zack?" She nodded at my question. She had seen our friends planning our rescue.

The good mood wasn't bound to last, not with our current situation. Our killjoy came in the form of Hojo almost an hour later. The mad scientist wasn't alone either, Rude was there with the obvious intent of keeping us in line.

"Good morning my precious specimens, did you rest well?" I crinkled my nose at the word "specimens". "We have a long day of testing ahead of us, so please don't make a fuss. It would be most unfortunate if one of you were to be damaged."

"No breakfast?" I intended for that to be a mood breaker, it didn't help.

"You'll be fed in due time." As Aeris helped me up, Rude watched us from the door. Momentarily I thought of trying to use the Jedi Mind Trick but brushed it off quickly. I was still exhausted, it was quite likely we'd be caught, and I'd have exposed myself for having an extra ability.

Hojo led us to what appeared to be a medical center first. Several assistants circled us, checking our eyes, our weights, muscle build, and height. For several of our stats they mused aloud and guessed rather than simply asking. One such example was when they were trying to determine my age. One assistant thought I looked 20, another argued that I could be 18, another said 21.

"I'm 25!" My annoyance at being treated like furniture was getting the better of me.

All I received was incredulous looks for my outburst.

_With AVALANCHE_

Zack had called his longtime friend Kunsel, hoping that his friend would be able to help them with getting in to the Shinra building. To his surprise, Kunsel immediately agreed, admitting that he had an idea of Shinra's dirty dealings and would help Zack rescue his friends.

"So, you can help us get into the tower to rescue Aeris and Rachas?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, I can get you into the building, but you need to get yourself onto the plate. Shinra has put the plate into lockdown, no trains, elevators, no real way to get from the slums to the plate. How many of you are there anyway?"

"There's me with the Buster sword, Cloud who also has a sword, Tifa who specializes in hand-to-hand, and Barret who has a gun-arm."

A moment of silence followed, then Kunsel spoke again. "I have an idea on how to get you all in, but you need to get up here."

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"You can tell me what happened to you when you get up here, Zack." Kunsel then gave him the name of a shop in Sector 3 and that when they reached the shop to just ask for him.

As he reported this to Cloud and the others a few minutes later, all of them agreed to go along.

"So, how're we getting to the plate?" Barret asked as they sat around the table of Mrs. Gainsborough's house.

"We need to look around, the trains aren't running anymore." Tifa had done a bit of investigating herself that morning.

"Wall Market seems like it would be the best place to start. There seems to be all types there that would have various bits of information," Cloud pointed out.

"Alright, but since we're already here, let's check Sector 5 first. Better to start here and move on than have to come back." Zack stood from the table followed shortly by the others.

Barret turned then to Mrs. Gainsborough. "I'm sorry, but could you keep looking after Marlene?"

"I don't mind," the woman replied.

"Then it would be best that we get you to a new location!" A new voice called out from the door.

"Jessie! Wedge!" Barret jumped up at the sight of his comrades.

"I ran into them while investigating earlier," Tifa said.

"Where's Biggs?" Cloud asked, noticing the absence.

A silence fell over the group, then Elmyra spoke. "He was killed by the Turks while trying to defend Aeris and Marlene."

_Normal_

After many pricks from needles, Aeris and I were returned to the cell once more.

Groaning, I sat on the slab as I rubbed my arms. "I look like I have track marks," I grumbled as Aeris sat down next to me.

"They aren't that bad," she reassured. "What about mine?"

"When we get out of here, we'll need to avoid not only Shinra, but the police as well. They'll think we're stoners."

"You're so optimistic, aren't you the least bit scared?"

"Aeris, I'm terrified. But part of my pilot training involved never letting people know when I was scared or surprised."

"Why?"

"Because, if you're in an airplane and the pilot looks scared or surprised, people become afraid. That leads to panic, and panicked people are bound to get out of hand, especially if there is nothing they can really do about it."

Conversation lapsed at that point and we both sat in silence for a few minutes. I had another headache forming; this one was because I hadn't eaten for too long. My blood sugar was low without a doubt. It wouldn't be too long before my hypoglycemia would give way to shakes and nausea.

Glancing over at Aeris, I didn't need to be a mind-reader to know that she wasn't doing too well. She was nervous, scared, and really wanted to believe that our friends were coming to rescue her while at the same time wishing they wouldn't, that they would be safe.

I reached over and tucked her hand into my own, squeezing slightly. "_I have changed,__I have changed.__Just like you,__Just like you,"_ I sang softly. _"For how long,__for how long__must I wait?__I know there's something wrong.__Your concrete heart isn't beating.__And I've tried to__make it come alive.__No shadows,__just red lights.__Now I'm here to rescue you."_

Beside me, Aeris breathed deeply as she listened to the song.

___"Oh I'm still alive,__I'm still alive__but cannot apologize, no.__Oh I'm still alive,__I'm still alive__but cannot apologize, no.__So silent,__no violence.__But inside my head,__so loud and clear, you're screaming.__You're screaming,__covered up with a smile I've learned to fear.__Just sunshine__and blue sky.__Is this all we get__for living here?_

Aeris was relaxing just slightly, but it was an improvement.

___"Come fire,__come fire,__let it burn and love come racing through.__Oh I'm still alive,__I'm still alive,__but cannot apologize, no.__Oh I'm still alive,__I'm still alive,__but cannot apologize, no."_

She had joined me in singing the refrain this time, squeezing my hand in response.

___"I've learned to lose,__I've learn to win,__I've turned my face against the wind.__I will move fast,__I will move slow,__take me where I have to go.__"_

I intended to finish the song, but at that moment Aeris burst into tears and I turned my attention to comforting her even as I swallowed my fear over and over again. I knew for a fact that the others would be coming for us, and I was still terrified. Poor Aeris must have it so hard with the uncertainty of this situation.

As she calmed down and her sobs became fewer, I decided to distract her by a different means.

"Aeris, can you tell me about the flowers in the church?"

Aeris seemed thankful for the distraction, and began to talk about the flowers in the church; how she had found them, tended to them, seen them flourish, and then spread the garden to her house. Then at my encouragement, she began to tell me about her mother.

_With AVALANCHE_

None of them had found any way to reach the plate in Sector 5, though the little boy who had previously picked Zack's pocket approached them. He had seen what had happened to Aeris, and upon finding out that they were going to rescue her, had given them a Turbo Ether.

The four of them were now at Wall Market, hoping for some means of getting to the plate. They had asked the owners of the dress shop, the people at the gym, and various shoppers and vendors. Zack had even swallowed his own fears and asked at the Honeybee Inn despite the possibility of running into the "bubby" crew.

Finally, the vendor of the weapons shop seemed to have an idea on how they could get to the plate. It cost them 400 gil to buy the batteries he was intent to sell, but he did tell them there was a wire near the back wall of the sector that should get them pretty high, then they'd have to climb through the junk to get the rest of the way.

When they were finally in front of the wire, looking up at the climb they had in front of them, Tifa demanded they stop for the day. It was almost night and she felt that trying to climb in the dark would be too dangerous.

Though they all wanted to get up there fast, everyone did have to agree that climbing through the junk would be tricky business.

They all retired to the inn that night.

_Normal_

Things didn't improve as the day continued. It became obvious soon enough that we were put back in the cell so that the "good doctor" and his associates could have a lunch break. I was right about my hypoglycemia though I refused to say a word about it. My shaking was brushed off as me just being nervous by the lab rats when they came for us.

This time though, instead of both Aeris and I being taken to the same place, I was dragged to a room. Inside was Hojo, Tseng, and that spy, Tarmin. I was pleased to see he had a vibrant red welt under his nose.

"I see you recognize this man," Hojo stated. "He claims that you have abilities beyond what we saw on the cameras in Sector 7."

"He probably also refuses to tell you where that welt under his nose came from." I took the liberty of seating myself in the available chair, hopefully covering the shaking of my limbs. "What are you doing to Aeris?"

"That bitch has some crazy thing she does! She said to do something and I did!"

"It's called "interrogation"," I responded, making finger quotes around the word interrogation. Tseng seemed to quirk an eyebrow at my comment.

"It wasn't like that! She said "come in" and I had to! She made me sit in a chair while she and another little girl tied me up!"

I didn't answer, I couldn't be caught denying too much by these people. I did however fake a half-laugh as I stared at the guy then turned my attention to Tseng. "Is this a joke or do you honestly believe this guy?"

"Why are you shaking?" Tseng's eyes narrowed as they focused on my hands.

"I have hypoglycemia," I replied and wondered why the hell I had just admitted that. But between the possibilities of either him thinking I'm lying or admitting I have an illness, at the moment I'll take the illness.

Hojo's eyes narrowed also as he glanced at my hands that I had folded in my lap to try to control the shakes, and then he stepped out of the room.

"Where did he get that welt?" Tseng asked as he eyed the thug.

"I caused it," I admitted.

"This bitch talked bout torturin like it was the weather!" Tarmin shouted.

"What are your intentions towards Aeris and me?" My eyes were focused on Tseng.

"We have been watching Ms. Gainsborough for quite a while. The President has high hopes for her. You were an unexpected discovery; we thought the only Ancient left was Aeris." The admission seemed to have him feeling slightly ashamed.

"Ancient? What's an Ancient?" Tarmin demanded.

"I asked what your intentions towards us were."

Hojo reappeared then with another assistant who was carrying a kit. It turned out to be a blood glucose test. The plain man pricked my finger, squeezed out a drop of blood, and tested my blood. He didn't bother showing me the results; he simply gathered the test kit and left after showing Hojo the results. The assistant returned after a few moments with a simple cup that contained what smelled like juice.

I reached out with my mind and felt for anything that might be wrong with the drink, any dishonesty on the part of the assistant. Sensing nothing, I gulped down the juice. I would need my strength soon enough.

"This man claims that you have some sort of ability that allows you to command people to do whatever you want. Is that true?" Hojo demanded in his slimy way.

"This man cracked under interrogation and told those he was observing what Shinra's plans were. He would say anything if he felt his life were in danger. He probably also hopes to get back at the one who interrogated him." I prayed that they wouldn't shoot this man in front of me; I might try to stop them.

Tseng sighed then hauled Tarmin to his feet; I noticed for the first time that his hands were cuffed. As he was dragged from the room, Tarmin kept screaming, insisting that I had done something and had forced him to talk.

"Wait!" I called before Tseng completely left the room. "Did more people escape Sector 7?"

Tseng stared at me for a second before answering. "Your spell caused the plate to stand for an extra 23 minutes." He left after that.

Internally I simultaneously rejoiced and cried. I hadn't been able to stop the plate, but I had delayed it. For an evacuation, 23 minutes could be translated into thousands upon thousands of lives.

I barely noticed as I was grabbed by another assistant and led back to the cell. Apparently Aeris had only been wanted briefly as well since she was back in the cell also.

Dinner came several hours later, a simple meal of mush and juice. Seems that my hypoglycemia was now being taken into account. When we get out of here, I'll have to be careful to regulate it again.

Aeris and I shared the slab that night, sharing our jackets for warmth.

_With AVALANCHE_

Everyone was ready to go by the time morning came, and as they climbed the wire to the junk heaps that would give them access to the plate, each member of AVALANCHE wondered how they would enter the main Shinra building.

The batteries ended up being necessary, there were several times when they needed to activate a generator to turn a turbine or get something lifted so they could continue on their way.

They arrived in Sector 6 of the plate after almost three hours of climbing. Morning was well under way by then and the plate was busy. The group still stood out too much to be able to move immediately, so they watched for patrols, getting an idea for how much time they had between the patrols and what routes they took.

Finally, Zack and Tifa agreed that they had a good time to leave and the four rushed down the street, keeping to the shadows as best they could, allowing the crowd to cover for them. They repeated the process every few streets, slowly but surely making their way to Sector 3. It was mid-afternoon when they reached the shop that Kunsel said he rendezvous with them at. Kunsel wasn't there yet, but he did leave instructions to allow them into the employee break room at least. Zack sent a message that they had arrived.

Now Barret was taking the old, grease and oil stained couch in the room, Tifa and Cloud were sitting in two chairs, and Zack was pacing, waiting for Kunsel. Almost 30 minutes passed before he appeared.

"ZACK! I can't believe it's really you!" Kunsel yelled as he ran into the room.

Zack grinned at his old friend, happy to see that he was well. He also noted that Kunsel was still in the 2nd class uniform.

"Great to see you too! Still not a 1st?"

"Apparently I asked too many questions after they announced your death. It has been getting rough in there, SOLDIER isn't at all what it used to be and the executives are cracking down a lot more. But enough about me, what happened to you?"

Zack started at the beginning of the story, telling Kunsel about the mission to Nibelheim, then Sephiroth's obsession to the files in the basement of the Shinra mansion. How after a week, Sephiroth had gone insane, burning down the entire village then heading towards the reactor to retrieve his "mother". He explained how both he and Cloud had fought Sephiroth, Cloud finally getting that final blow and defeating Sephiroth before both of them were taken by Hojo. There wasn't much he said about the experimentation they were put through, but he did talk of their escape, then following Genesis to Banora, and meeting Rachas who flew them the rest of the way to Midgar. Barret and Tifa were riveted by the tale; Kunsel just seemed angered by it.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed, punching a wall. "Shinra has turned rotten!"

"We need to get inside to rescue Aeris and Rachas." Tifa stood from her chair to face Kunsel at almost eye-level. "Could you help us with that?"

"Yeah, I can do that at least, but sneaking you guys in isn't going to be easy. You'll need some good disguises." Turning his attention to Barret, Kunsel indicated towards the gun-arm, "And you'll probably not be able to walk in with that out."

"Not goin there without my gun, why don't we jus storm the building?" Barret asked.

"Because I don't think you want to fight all of SOLDIER, Turks, and Security. They're expecting you guys to come." Kunsel turned back to Zack. "The disguises that I think would suite you guys best are technicians. You can carry your weapons in supply boxes and would be given keycards necessary to reach the different floors by claiming maintenance has sent you."

"Alright! So, do you think you could get us the required uniforms?" Cloud had asked this time.

"Yeah, but you'll need to get to the building. When you do, take the emergency stairs to the 59th floor. I'll have set the uniforms out up there as well as some equipment cases for you guys to stash you weapons in. I can also get you guys keycards for floor 60 and 61."

"Thanks Kunsel, we really owe you one!" Zack grinned as he slapped his old friend on the back.

"No problem, I should have the necessary items out in two hours, so be ready to go by then." Kunsel then took down their sizes for the uniforms and left.

_Normal_

The morning of our second day in the Shinra Science Department was a miserable one. Breakfast was nutrient pills, mush, and water. Hojo had us dragged back to the medical center again, this time for X-rays, MRI, CAT-scan, and a bunch of tests that I didn't even know the names of. I was finding myself really tempted to perform a Jedi Mind trick to see if I could get out of there.

At lunch time, both Aeris and I were again returned to the cell, more nutrient pills and juice were our lunch.

"Where did you grow up?" Aeris asked.

"Banora," I replied and firmly hoped that we weren't being recorded in some way or another.

"What was that like?"

I thought for a moment, remembering what I could from the game. "Small, rural, trees and grass everywhere and surrounded by hills and cliffs. There was also a type of apple that only grew there. Their proper name was Banora White, everyone there just called them dumbapples because of the funny arch-like way the trees grew and because the apples grew randomly, never seeming to have a pattern in growth."

I glanced over at Aeris, her eyes were closed and I guessed she was trying to envision what I was describing.

"The Rhapsodos family lived in a house on a hill that overlooked the rest of the village, all the houses had a very quaint feel to them, rustic in the farming country sense but not shabby."

"Do you go home often?"

"No," I responded honestly. "I haven't gone home for the better part of seven years."

We were silent again for a while before I pushed out with my mind. I was surprised when Aeris seemed to follow me with her own mind, and our minds drifted out of the cell. We drifted through the science floor, observing the scientists and assistants as they compounded the data they had gathered from us earlier that day and ran tests on blood samples.

I pushed down and soon found myself watching a number of aids as they scurried around, being directed by none other than Reeve Tuesti. Aeris's mind joined me and we observed for a while longer as destruction data and rebuilding estimates were made. They were still in the midst of doing a head count of survivors, but currently out of an estimated population of 156,000 almost 134,000 were confirmed living and the number was rising. I couldn't help the feeling of happiness that invaded me then, I might be stuck in hell for a while longer, but the efforts of AVALANCHE and me had enabled over 100,000 people to live.

I felt Aeris's joy over the survivors at the same time sadness struck over the possible deaths of over 20,000 people.

Again we drifted, this time down to the plate and into a shop I didn't remember being in the game. Inside, Zack, Cloud, Tifa, and Barret were making final arrangements before departing for the tower. They'd be here in just a few short hours!

Aeris and I returned to our bodies after that, both of us feeling a bit tired. I could feel that she was hopeful, but also very worried about the others.

"They'll be ok," I whispered. "They're all very strong and will make it through this."

_With AVALANCHE_

Following Kunsel's instructions, everyone was ready to leave within two hours. Zack was pleased that it was nearly sunset by the time they left, the building would currently be emptying of unnecessary personnel. They should have a much better run of the building.

Entering the Emergency stairwell was easy enough; they just had to deal with Barret's complaints initially. Those complaints died down by the time they had gone up five flights of stairs. They returned at the 23rd floor and continued until the 26th floor when everyone stopped for their first break. Neither Cloud nor Zack needed that first break, but they couldn't move on ahead without Tifa or Barret.

The climb continued and around the 34th floor Barret yelled that he was going back only for Tifa to point out that they were over halfway up. No one was certain how she was able to keep count of the floors.

At the 43rd floor the group took another break. Cloud and Zack were breathing a bit harder but otherwise were not the worse for wear. Tifa sat on a box trying to catch her breath while Barret looked ready to roll down the stairs.

Finally, at long last, the group reached the 59th floor, and just as Kunsel had promised, sitting outside the door were four maintenance uniforms, a cart, supply boxes for their weapons, and the keycards.

The group changed in silence then quickly stashed their weapons into the supply crates. The only fuss once again came from Barret who was more than a bit sour at having to remove the gun attachment of his bionic arm. Once everything was secure, the group opened the door and entered the 59th floor of the Shinra building.

Kunsel had proven to be right; their uniforms allowed them almost full access without worry. The executives didn't look at them, the aids were too busy rushing by, and the guards didn't seem to care.

Getting to the 60th floor, the group found that the guards didn't disturb them at all; they just walked right past them.

Floor 61 seemed almost like a break area; people mingled around, socialized, and shared one last word before heading home. They got lucky when one of the executives approached them and stated in a snobby manner that they needed to fix the door on this floor and all other floors. He did give Cloud a keycard for the 62nd floor though.

On the next floor they discovered a man named Domino who declared he was actually the Mayor of Midgar, but due to Shinra's totalitarian regime, he was reduced to little more than a librarian/figurehead. He was willing to hand over the key for the next floor though, if they were able to answer his riddle, and if they got it right on the first try, then he would include a reward. The group immediately brought their heads together.

"So, what clues do we have?" Tifa asked.

"He didn't give any."

"How can you solve a riddle without clues?" Tifa was making a very serious face.

"I could sell you a clue," the mayor's deputy offered. "Just 2,000 gil for the first hint!"

'_Cloud, say KING,'_ a voice whispered in his ear.

"Think we should buy it?" Zack questioned.

"Might have to," Barret responded. "Ain't no mind reader."

'_Say KING!'_ the voice insisted again. Cloud began to massage his temple, unsure if he should do what the voice in his head said. _'This time only, I'm not telling you to do something ridiculous, just say KING!'_

"KING!" Cloud said aloud, eager for the voice to just be quiet for now. They were in the midst of rescuing their comrades.

"KING! I should be the KING of Midgar!" announced the voice of Domino. He then handed over the keycard for the 65th floor and an elemental materia.

"Cloud, how did you guess that?" Zack exclaimed as they trooped back to the stairs and climbed to the 65th floor. "What clue did you see?"

"I… don't know. It just kind of… popped into my head." Cloud felt almost like it had been Rachas speaking to him now that he thought back on the voice.

On the 65th floor they discovered a puzzle of sorts and had to collect the necessary parts for it. It involved a lot of running around for all of them.

Finally, the puzzle was completed and they could move on to the 66th floor with the keycard they earned. On exiting the stairwell, they overheard two aids talking about the meeting of "the Big Wigs." Zack instantly grinned upon hearing that the meeting room smelled bad.

"Guys, I have an idea on how we can hear what is going on." The disguised ex-SOLDIER led them to a bathroom that was down the hall from the meeting room. Leaving their weapons in the bathroom after insuring it was empty and locking the door, the four of them climbed into the air ducts. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but they all managed to fit and found a grate that opened into the meeting room that they all gathered around.

"Geez, that's a lotta suits."

"We have the damage estimates for sector seven." One suit said. "Considering those factories we already set up and all the investments, the damages are estimated at approximately 10 billion gil. The estimated cost to rebuild is..."

"We're not rebuilding."

"What?"

"We're leaving sector seven as it is, and restarting the Neo-Midgar plan."

"...then the Ancients?" the president leaned forward.

"The Promised Land will be ours. I want you to raise Mako rates, 15% in every area."

"Rate hike! Rate hike! Tra-la-la! And does that include our space program in the budget?" A fat grease-ball bounced up and down.

"Reeve and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase." Shinra stated coldly.

"Aww man."

"But sir, if you raise the rates, the people will lose confidence..." Reeve protested.

"It'll be alright. The ignorant citizens won't lose confidence; they'll trust Shinra inc. even more."

Off to the right Heidegger began laughing his ass off. "After all, we're the ones who saved sector seven from AVALANCHE!"

"That claim has far too many holes, especially after people saw the footage." Reeve stated. Heidegger stopped laughing and looked angry.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I read the reports, thousands of people claim AVALANCHE were the ones to start the evacuation. Then the footage of that AVALANCHE girl who froze the pillar somehow got mainstream." Reeve smiled.

"A few claims won't cause alarm." Shinra waved it off. The doors then slammed open and someone they couldn't immediately see entered.

"Hojo, how're the girls?"

"As a specimen, the dark haired one is inferior to her mother. I'm still in the process of comparing her to her mother, Ifalna, but for now the difference is 18%"

"How long will the research take?"

"...probably 120 years. It's probably impossible to finish in our lifetime. Or in the lifetime of the specimen too for that matter." He started pacing around, mumbling to himself. "That's why were looking into breeding her. Then we could create one that could withstand the test of time."

"What of the second one?"

Hojo offered a creepy smile. "Quite the anomaly, definitely an Ancient like the dark haired one, but she seems to be of a different bloodline. We received a report from the recently "retired" spy we sent to Sector 7 stating she had some strange ability. We've seen nothing of that yet."

"What about the Promised Land? Will having two Ancients aid our plans or will the research hinder it?"

"...That's what I need to plan. The mother is strong...and yet has her weaknesses."

"Then that concludes our meeting." The executives all filed out then, with Scarlet stopping for a moment to mutter that something stank.

"They were talking about Aeris and Rachas, right?" Tifa asked

"Rachas is an Ancient too?" Zack wondered aloud.

"Let's follow Hojo," Cloud stated, already beginning the trip back to the bathroom.

_Normal_

I had been meditating, watching the group as they climbed the tower. When they reached the 62nd floor, I did a quick search of Domino's mind and passed the password on to Cloud. They had just entered the air duct to watch the executive meeting when the door to the cell opened. The two assistants motioned for Aeris to follow them.

"Don't worry," I whispered to her. "They'll be here very shortly."

Aeris nodded then left with the assistants.

Settling back down, I focused on Cloud, Zack, Tifa, and Barret again, observing the meeting myself. I could say one thing; Hojo was creepy no matter the light. Though at least he didn't intend to try to "breed" me for now. I knew Red wouldn't actually hurt Aeris, but I wished they'd hurry up.

I watched as they climbed out of the vents then to the stairwell, following Hojo up the one flight of stairs to this floor.

As they ran down the hall, Zack remembered the six prison cells on this floor and led the group into a work area where they knocked out the assistants and gathered the keycards for the cells. Withdrawing to my body, I waited the extra minute until the door opened.

"Zack! Cloud!" I launched myself at the pair when the door was opened.

"RACHAS!" Both exclaimed as we all exchanged hugs.

"Aeris! They took her just a few minutes ago! We need to get her!" I shouted as I grabbed Zack's arm and charged down the hall.


	12. Chapter 12

Saria: God I'm tired.

Zas: Yeah, you are having a rough week.

Tori: Anyone want cookies?

SA: (grabs cookie tray) Not until after the chapter!

zzzzzzzzzzz

As we rushed from the cells, I checked the closet at the end of the hall and was lucky to find both my and Aeris's weapons and bangles. Zack took the staff and handed me my pack. I wasted no time in ripping open my pack to find my candy, I was very eager to get rid of the taste of the industrialized crud that they passed off as food here.

Zack led the charge out of the cells as soon as I was ready and we rushed toward the room at the end of the hall that they had noticed Hojo enter before coming back to the cells. We all stopped just inside the door and took cover behind tubes and boxes when we spied Hojo staring into the container that held Red.

"Is this today's specimen?" An assistant asked.

"Yes, we're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level." The assistant walked out and Hojo moved closer to the glass case.

"My precious specimen." His voice reminded me of Golem/Smeagol from The Lord of the Rings. Creep show extraordinaire. I relaxed as he moved away from the container and towards the elevator.

Tifa moved towards the container as soon as Hojo was away. "Precious specimen? Is this going to be used for a biological experiment?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," I stated. "That person did not even once refer to Aeris or me as anything more than specimens." Red turned his head to stare at me then, a gaze that I held until we heard a murmured "Jenova".

Glancing back, I saw that Cloud had found the tank and that Zack was dragging the shocked Cloud from it.

"Don't get close to that thing!" Zack dragged Cloud almost all the way over to Red's container.

Curiosity peaked by Zack's display, Barret looked into the window of Jenova's container. "Is that thing… alive? Where's its fucking head?"

I had seen Jenova's form on gaming consoles, but knowing what I'd see didn't stop me from wanting, needing to see what had Barret so up in arms. Tifa and I approached at the same time, sliding around Barret and staring into the window.

The terrible sight that met my eyes was so fascinating yet so horrible; the game never could have done this justice. The form was completely blue and in the form of a woman but lacked the small features that completed the form. The entire form also showed indications of being picked at, probably samples taken throughout the years. The wings on Jenova's back were just barely discernible through the foggy liquid, liquid that was fogged mostly from blood that slowly seeped from the stump of the neck. The wound from the slice that removed the head still looked fresh despite that I knew it had happened years ago.

I bit back nausea as I stepped away from the window. Well, I think that I have learned a very valuable lesson about why I never want to be in one of Hojo's labs EVER again.

"Let's move." Zack seemed to have finally calmed down himself. Beside him, Cloud was a bit paler than usual, but seemed fine otherwise.

The rest of us nodded as we pushed away from the tank and began to pick our way through the room towards the elevator at the back. We ran into two lab assistants enroute, but they were quickly and easily quieted. Cloud grabbed the poison materia in the corner.

The five of us squeezed into the elevator and began the climb to the next floor. A few seconds later and we were all pushing to get out of that cramped little ride.

Aeris was in a glass container in the center of the room. Hojo stood next to the container, leering in at her.

"Aeris!" Zack yelled as he skidded forward.

"Aeris? Oh, is that her name? What do you want?" His eyes roved over our small party and landed on me. "Return the specimen to her cell. I don't need that one now."

"Fat chance you asinine creep!" I shouted.

"We're taking Aeris with us!" Cloud shouted, his sword at the ready.

"…Outsiders." Hojo sighed in a long suffering manner. "There are so many frivolous things in this world." He then turned his attention back onto us. "Are you going to kill me? I don't think you should. The equipment here is very delicate. Without me, who could operate them?"

I glanced around, wondering if Zack or Tifa might have an idea. Heck, give me a few minutes and I probably could do it.

"That's right. I recommend you think things over logically before you make any rash moves."

"I'm pretty certain that your assistant will help if properly… motivated. And if not, some broken glass isn't going to set off a bomb." My response drew a faint chuckle from Hojo.

"You never know," he replied. "Bring in the specimen now!"

Everyone heard the sound of a platform rising then, after a moment Red was in the container with Aeris. Red growled lowly, entering his threatening pose, and I must admit he looked very convincing.

Aeris was up in an instant, trying to find a way to get around Red. "Zack! Rachas! Help!" she called as she began to beat at the glass.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tifa demanded.

"Lending a helping hand to two endangered species. Both of them are on the brink of extinction. If I don't help both animals will disappear." Well, my blood is boiling now.

"We're intelligent beings you vapid, anal, sub-human!" I yelled. "I'd sooner go extinct than get "help" from you. And have you even looked at a Biology book? How the hell could you ever think this pairing is compatible?"

"Yur gonna pay!"

"Barret, can you do something?"

"Alright, stand back!"

"Stop!" Barret ignored the mad scientist as he fired upon the cylinder. The cracks formed on the cylinder grew rapidly, then a bright light filled the cylinder.

"Wh...what are you...My precious specimens!" Hojo turned back to the control panel, ignoring all of us as he pressed buttons until the door opened. He moved back to check inside the tube as the light died down and was promptly set upon by Red.

"Aeris!" Zack jumped past Hojo to the tube and helped her up, Cloud giving her a hand out of the container as Zack jumped out himself. Both froze then and glanced back at the container. "Hear that?"

"The elevator is moving," Cloud confirmed.

"This is no ordinary specimen. This is a very veracious specimen!" Hojo had managed to partially pull himself out from under Red.

I shot the nutty professor a look before declaring, "A truthful specimen? This I've got to see!"

My view of the scientist's thunderstruck expression at his slip in vocabulary was cut off by Red. "He's rather strong, I'll help you out." Hojo finally managed to yank himself free and made a run for it.

Zack, Aeris, Cloud, Barret, and Tifa all looked very shocked. I will admit that his voice was smoother than I had thought it would be, but it sounded very much like his Advent Children voice.

"It talked?"

"I'll talk as much as you want later, miss."

"Alright, we'll take care of the monster. Someone take Aeris somewhere safe!" Zack declared.

"I'm just fine," Aeris replied as she took her staff and bangle back from Zack.

"She's better here than elsewhere," I pointed out.

"What's your name?" Cloud asked Red.

"Hojo has named me Red XIII, a name with no meaning what so ever to me. Call me whatever you wish."

"That'll do." The lot of us then turned to face the monstrosity that rose from the depths of the lab.

The specimen that Hojo was so fond of looked like the combination of a Venus flytrap, a skeleton, a runaway beard that was actually poisonous tentacles, a spiky shellfish, and mounds of bulbous, nearly formless fat that walked on legs that were stolen from a large chicken. To make matters worse, I didn't remember much about this monster other than you were not supposed to use poison on it. And of course, this lovely little dear came with friends.

"Focus on the main monster, the underlings will die off with it," Red said as he dodged the initial attack from one of the underlings.

Cloud cast the first spell of the fight and I noticed that the lightning didn't seem to have much of an effect. The specimen seemed to just shake off the shock.

This was no monster to take on with a tantō, so even though I drew my weapons, I checked over my materia and cast an ice spell in conjunction Barret firing. I was hoping that either the flytrap or the shellfish portions would be frozen by the spell. The flesh where the spell hit blackened a bit, but that damn monster showed no sign of pain. Barret's bullets didn't seem to do much either, though there were a few points on the monster's hide that seemed to be pierced.

Cloud tried another cast, this time using fire. The spell seemed to do a little more damage than mine had, so fire was probably the best spell for this thing.

Zack launched head-on at the specimen then, the Buster sword flashing forward, opening a gash in the bulbous left arm of the beast. Unfortunately, the sword got stuck on the shellfish shoulder. As the right arm came sweeping up to catch Zack, Red appeared and locked his jaws on the arm.

I threw a fire at the right knee, hoping to throw the thing off balance as Zack struggled to pull his sword free. The resulting lurch as the monster's leg jerked helped Zack yank free and Red let go as Barret unleashed another round.

Tifa and Cloud used the monster's momentary distraction to try to sneak behind the thing and attack its back. Cloud's sword bit into the flesh, but Tifa got too close to the poisonous tentacles. She disengaged as Cloud followed through with his attack, cutting a second gash into the back of the creature.

Digging into my pack, I yanked out an antidote and threw it to Tifa then covered for her as she treated her injury when an underling attempted to attack. My tantō cut deeply into the tiny monster, a foul smelling goo spilling from the puncture.

Red latched onto the experiment's leg then, trying to hold it still while Zack made another assault. Though he cut a good size gash again, he was caught by skeletal right arm which was proving to be pretty fast. The former SOLDIER was thrown back by the blow and Red was thrown after him a few seconds later. I cast another fire to prevent the monster from trying to follow-up on the two right as Tifa rushed in and was able to kick out the left knee before she was knocked aside, and then I found myself defending against yet another one of the underlings.

I managed to run the underling through with my blade then once again the world began to slow down around me as I allowed the power to flow. Turning I saw that Aeris was in the midst of casting a spell, Barret had been set upon by the last underling, and Cloud looked to be powering up for a spell.

Turning back to the monster, I saw that Zack had recovered and was attempting another rush of the beast; he was currently on a collision course with the thin arm though he was aiming at the fat one again.

Running forward I jammed my tantō into the wrist of the creature and twisted. Before I could withdraw though, time sped up again and I was now being dragged along by the beast's arm, hand below the wrist limp.

"Wh-what?" Glancing down I saw Red staring at me, eyes wide.

"Later!" I yelled as I kicked off of the monster right as Zack managed to take off the other arm from the elbow down. All three of us were caught by the poisonous tentacle as the monstrosity lashed out. Pulling myself up and away from the specimen, I dug through my pack once clear and pulled out antidotes for myself and Red.

Aeris used her Limit Break Healing Wind then, and the pain from the blow faded.

Zack reached a Limit Break then, and I noticed that the area surrounding our enemy had a seal appear. Oh shit, Apocalypse!

"Get away from it!" I yelled, shoving Red further away from monster, closer to the group.

"What's that?" Barret asked as he saw Zack levitate up, the ball of energy beginning to form in his hand.

"A Limit Break," Cloud replied.

"A big one," I added. Although the Limit Breaks of allies don't hurt you in the game, I don't want to test that theory here.

Apocalypse was spectacular to see, and terrifying also. The lightning and red light within the seal was blindingly violent, and incredibly intense. The noise was not unlike thunder crashing almost right over your head.

As the light finally faded and Zack returned to the ground, the specimen seemed to finally be dead, the various gashes no longer leaking and most of the body looked slightly scorched.

Dazed by what I had seen, I walked over to stand by Zack, staring in shock at the corpse. It was a brutal move, but we did need to get moving.

Giving Zack's shoulder a quick squeeze, I noticed a small orb peeking out from the jaws of the flytrap shoulder and walked over to pick up the materia. Enemy Skill if I remembered correctly, useless now, but it could become a useful materia.

"Hey, I think you should have this." I tossed Zack the materia.

Zack nodded, pocketed the materia, then addressed the group. "We shouldn't stay here, and we can't all leave as a single group. Seven people will draw attention."

"Then lets split into two groups," Cloud said.

"Ok, group one will consist of Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris. They will leave from the elevator on this floor. Group two will be Barret, Rachas, Red, and myself. We'll go to a lower floor and catch the elevator there."

"Alright," everyone stated then the groups split, Cloud and crew heading for the elevator, the rest of us for the stairs.

"Which floor are we going to?" I asked this as we rounded the stairs on the 65th floor.

"60, that's as far as these stairs go!" Zack called back.

"Isn't that a bit obvious?"

"Good point." Zack jumped down the next flight of stairs and pushed at the door for the 63rd floor. It popped open easily. "These guys really do need maintenance."

We headed for the elevator immediately when I felt something in the surrounding power.

"We're being followed," I muttered just loud enough for Zack to hear.

"Guys, duck in here for a moment." Zack indicated a door to his right. "I believe I need to address something."

"Alright, call us if you need us."

"No foolin 'round!"

The room proved to be the control room for this floor and I immediately took a keycard from Barret and ran it through the system. Clearance was gained to open three doors and I turned to Barret.

"Mind if I raid the storage rooms really quick?"

Barret waved me off. "Five minutes, or we're leavin without ya."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Red asked as I turned to leave.

"I'm actually looking for a restroom," I whispered to him. "Besides, Zack's out there. I doubt there'll be any danger."

Easing out the door, I glanced down the hall towards the elevator where Zack was. He seemed to be talking animatedly to a SOLDIER in a 2nd class uniform. Must have been Kunsel.

Turning, I ran past the stairwell, opened the first door after the turn, then the last one on the left before the next turn, entered the first room, and grabbed up the coupon. Jumping into the ventilation shaft, I climbed up into the system. The area was pretty spacious and even with my pack on I could move easily. Crawling through the shaft, I quickly made my way to the next room, dropping into the next storage room. Grabbing the coupon in this room also, I left through the door and opened the last locked door, gaining access to the center room. I grabbed up the final coupon then returned to the previous storage room and climbed back into the vent. Reaching the end of the vent, I stopped short before trying to drop back into the control room when I heard a familiar voice.

"The surveillance crew reported that we had a party of four on this floor," Tseng's voice echoed up to me. "Where is the blond Ancient?"

"She went a different way," Zack's voice floated up this time. "Wait, why are you only looking for her?"

Tseng didn't deign to answer, and a moment later another voice called out, "Sir, we've searched the floor, there doesn't seem to be anyone else here."

'Thorough search,' I thought with a roll of my eyes.

"Cover the emergency stairs! No one is to leave without identification." Too bad for him I wasn't planning to leave yet.

_With AVALANCHE_

Zack couldn't believe his luck. They had been so close to getting out, and then he'd run into Kunsel! Kunsel was already packed and ready to abandon Shinra right along with them, and when Zack had rushed back to the room he'd left Barret, Rachas, and Red in he found that Rachas hadn't stayed put and before he could go look for her Tseng had appeared with troops.

"Still not regretting this?" he asked Kunsel as they were handcuffed then marched up the stairs.

"Haven't had the opportunity yet," Kunsel returned with a smile. His helmet had been removed so his brown hair and glowing eyes were now revealed. "What do you think happened to your friend?"

"I'm hoping she gets out while the going is good."

_Normal_

I knew there were cameras everywhere in this building, so after Tseng left with everyone and I had collected the Four Slots, All materia, and Star Pendant, I ran for the only floor that I could think of that would have an area where cameras would be forbidden, the changing/locker room of the recreational floor. I was banking on everyone looking for me on the lower floors attempting to make an escape.

Throwing open locker after locker, I tried to find some way to disguise myself. What I found was someone's spare glasses, a shirt, a skirt, and a lab coat. Luckily a keycard was in the pocket of the lab coat.

I started by pulling on the skirt and shirt, rolled up my jeans, quickly wound my hair into a bun, then popped out the glass of the glasses and shoved them over my eyes. Slipping on the lab coat, which was big on me, I looked in the mirror and found I looked significantly different.

Glancing out of the door, I forced myself to straighten, to look like a woman who was supposed to be there. Reaching out with my mind, I found that Aeris was being taken back to the cell while everyone else was being marched up the stairs to President Shinra's office.

Insuring that my pack was secure underneath the lab coat, I walked rapidly towards the elevator, doing my best to look like a woman with a purpose. The keycard allowed me access to the 69th floor, and upon stepping out, I called the power around myself, trying to cloud my presence to those who were around me. It seemed to work because none of the secretaries so much as looked up.

Reaching one of the grand staircases, I snuck up the stairs as quietly as I could. Staying just below the floor level, I was able to hear what was going on in the office without being seen.

"Cetra… That girl, is she a survivor of the Cetra?" I heard Red ask.

"Cetra, or the Ancients will show us the way to the Promised Land. I'm expecting great things out of them."

"The Promised Land? Isn't that just a legend?"

"Even so, it's just too appealing to not pursue. It is said the Promised Land is very fertile, and if the land is fertile…" The president didn't have to finish.

"Then there's gotta be mako!" Barret sounded angered.

"Exactly." This bastard sounded far too pleased with himself. "That is why our money sucking Mako Reactor is necessary. In the Promised Land, that abundant mako will just come out on its own. That is where Neo-Midgar will be built, Shinra's new glory…"

Barret cursed loudly. "Quit yer dreamin."

"Oh really, don't you know? These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power."

"Aeris and Rachas would never cooperate with you!" Zack sounded quite confident in that.

"Well, that is all for our meeting," Shinra declared.

Sucking in a breath, I turned to descend the stairs. I either needed to get caught or wait out Sephiroth's attack on one of the lower floors. Before I had descended even three steps, I heard a pistol cock behind me.

"Where do you think you're going?" It was Tseng.

"To report to Professor Hojo that his specimens have been caught," I replied in a nasally voice, hoping to throw Tseng off.

"Turn around and step up here. Show me your company identification."

"What is it Tseng?"

"Eavesdropper on the stairs," Tseng replied to the President as he grabbed my arm when I didn't move and dragged me up the stairs. "Turn around and show me your identification."

Well, caught is caught. I turned around and handed Tseng the keycard as his eyes narrowed at me, recognizing me through the disguise.

"Who is it Tseng? Do you need to execute her?"

"Our missing Ancient," Tseng replied as he produced a pair of handcuffs. I heard Zack, Cloud, and Barret groan at the announcement as Shinra moved closer to take a look at me.

"You must think us pretty stupid to fall for a disguise like that," Shinra stated upon seeing the way I was dressed.

"Very stupid actually. There's nothing pretty about you." I heard several from AVALANCHE snort at my comment.

Shinra 'hmphed' before turning to Tseng. "Get her back to her cell."

"Yes sir," was the reply as the Turk forced the cuffs onto my wrists.

"I usually demand dinner before going along with this sort of kink," I informed him.

I got no response as all of us were forced down the stairs and through the lobby to the elevator. The descent to the science floor was silent, as was the march to the cell. I wasn't surprised when I was forced back into the cell with Aeris.

Outside of the cell I heard several people grunt as they were shoved into their cells as well, then everything was silent for a moment.

"Hey, Zack, who's the new guy?" I called out.

"His names Kunsel. I think he's going to abandon Shinra for us!"

"Welcome to AVALANCHE!" I heard Tifa call out. Idly I wondered how everyone had been arranged in the cells. There were three extra people here, and I was with Aeris.

"I'm watchin ya!" Barret called out over everyone else's calls of welcome.

"Nice to meet you guys too!" This voice was new so I assumed it to be Kunsel's.

Cloud started his normal conversations then, except this time I was included.

"Aeris, Rachas, how are you guys doing?"

"I'm alright," Aeris replied.

"I'm fine, was kind of hoping to be able to rescue you guys this time so this is a bit disappointing," I called out as I peeled off the extra shirt and the skirt. The Turks had already confiscated the lab coat and my pack.

"Why didn't you escape when you had the chance?" Zack demanded. I ignored the question.

"Does the Promised Land really exist?"

"I don't know." Aeris looked at me.

"Afraid I don't know either," I informed her.

"All I know is, the Cetra were born from the Planet, speak to the Planet, and then… The Cetra will return to the Promised Land, a land that promises supreme happiness."

"Sounds like a concept of heaven to me," I pointed out.

"So, you've never seen anything remotely like the Promised Land?"

"Nothing comes to mind," I replied. I zoned out for the rest of the conversation, eventually falling asleep.

A few hours later I was awakened by Tifa as she burst into the cell, declaring something was wrong. Glancing beside me, I found Aeris was also awake and looking pretty disturbed by Tifa's words.

Jumping off the slab-bunk, Aeris and I followed Tifa into the hall where we promptly spied the guard lying at the end of the hall, obviously slain. Zack had already wedged open the door to the tiny closet and was yanking everyone's stuff out.

Once again grabbing my tantō and returning them to their sheaths, I reached into my pack and pulled out Aeris's materia and handed it back to her before strapping my pack back on.

"It really helped," I informed her as she tucked the materia into her braid.

"The Planet said you would need the help," she informed me. "What does this materia do anyway? I've never been able to get it to work."

"Gaia spoke to me through the materia." Cloud had just returned with Barret, Red, and a brunette man who I assumed to be Kunsel.

"What's goin on?" Barret demanded. Everyone murmured their own sounds of confusion.

"I'll go on ahead," Red volunteered as he jumped past the guard and ran down the hall.

"What happened?" Kunsel asked as he took his sword from Zack.

"Not sure, Cloud just woke up and discovered the door was open," Zack replied as he holstered the Buster Sword and shouldered his pack after passing out everyone's possessions.

Kunsel knelt down and looked closely at the dead guard, studying the wounds. "Whatever did this was definitely a thin and very sharp blade."

"Let's follow Red." Cloud was already running down the hall after Red.

The hall was a horrible sight, corpses were everywhere, blood splashes were on just about every surface. Aeris's gasp at the sight caused Zack to immediately take her hand. I fell back to her other side to give support.

Entering the room at the end of the hall, everyone spotted Red in front of the tank that had previously held Jenova. Blood was smeared across the floor heading towards the elevator. Though I knew Sephiroth and Jenova were gone, I felt chills rush through my body at the sight.

"Jenova specimen… Looks like it went to the upper floor using that elevator for the specimens."

"I volunteer to take the stairs." Kunsel raised his hand.

"I second that." This time I raised my hand.

"Good idea, we're more likely to cut off whoever did this by having a group take the stairs," Zack said as he moved toward the elevator.

"I'll join the group taking the stairs." Red paced toward Kunsel and me.

"Ok, the rest of us will meet you on the next floor," Cloud called as he followed Zack.

Kunsel, Red, and I departed back into the hall, stepping over bodies and dodging puddles of blood that were forming.

"So, you're really an Ancient?"

"A Cetra," I stated firmly. "Ancient is a name that Shinra scientists came up with. Are you really a SOLDIER?"

"Of course and yes, formerly now," Kunsel replied as Red chuckled.

"I'm not seeing any diversity in the manner these wounds were inflicted," Red observed.

"I'm seeing that as well." Kunsel looked over at me.

"I am no expert in this subject," I admitted.

We finally made it to the staircase, a fair number of bodies beginning to stack up as we approached. Climbing the one flight of stairs, we saw the trail of blood that came in through the destroyed door and traveled up the staircase.

"There is no way an average person could bleed this much and still be alive, much less walking," I murmured.

Zack, Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, and Barret arrived mere seconds later, obviously following the blood trail. Sharing looks, our parties joined together and continued up the stairs, following the trail of blood through the 69th floor lobby, then up into the Presidential Office. Behind the desk sat Shinra, the long blade I recognized as Masamune stabbed through his obese form.


	13. Chapter 13

Saria: I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Tori: Ours was actually pretty good.

Zas: IT WASN'T ME!

SA: (wielding a mallet) Then who stole my chocolate bunny?

Saria and Tori: (glance at one another) Weekend comedy!

zzzzzzzzzzz

"Isn't that General Sephiroth's sword?"

"Yeah, looks like it. Only Sephiroth could use that sword." Zack stepped closer to study the scene.

"YES! Shinra is finished!" Barret's jubilation rang off the walls.

"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion so fast." I stepped up next to Zack. "Come out," I ordered with the power backing my command. Palmer stepped out from behind the pillar looking slightly dazed. I released his mind as he was grabbed by Kunsel and Cloud.

"P-p-p-please! Don't kill me!" Palmer begged after his mind cleared and he realized we were there.

"What happened?"

"Se-Sephiroth! Sephiroth came!" the grease ball squeaked.

"Did you see him? Did you see Sephiroth?"

"Yeah, I saw him! I saw him with my own eyes! He was saying something about not letting us have the Promised Land."

"Then what? Does that mean the Promised Land exists and Sephiroth is here to save it from Shinra?"

"So he's a good guy, right?"

"Save the Promised Land? Good guy?" Zack snapped. "I know him; Sephiroth's mission is completely different!"

Taking advantage of the confusion Palmer slipped out of Cloud and Kunsel's grasp and ran out the balcony doors right as the sound of rotors filled the air.

"Rufus! Shit, forgot 'bout him!" Barret cursed.

"He was sent away recently, what's he doing here?" Kunsel wondered aloud.

Everyone stared as the helicopter approached then Cloud yelled, "Come on!" We all rushed to the doors then, right as a person dropped from the helicopter. As the party got to the balcony, a man dressed in a white suit was just finishing up talking to Palmer, who rushed off as soon as the talk was finished.

"So, Sephiroth was actually here. By the way," Rufus turned his attention on us, "Who are you guys?"

"Zack, former SOLDIER 1st!"

"Kunsel, former SOLDIER 2nd."

Cloud, Zack's friend."

"I'm from AVALANCHE!"

"Same here!"

"An associate of Zack and Cloud," I called.

"A flower girl from the slums."

"A research specimen."

"What a crew," Rufus stated, slipping his hand through his hair in a fashion I would best describe as flamboyant. "Well I'm Rufus. The President of Shinra Inc."

"You're only president cuz your old man died!"

"That's right; I'll let you hear my new appointment speech." He started to approach the group.

"... My old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working." He went over towards Aeris's direction.

"The population thought Shinra would protect them." Aeris looked disdainfully at him; he shrugged and walked up towards Zack and I.

"Work at Shinra, get your pay, if terrorists attack the Shinra army will help you." He looked between Zack and me. "It looks perfect on the outside." He held out a finger. "But, I do things differently... I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man." He started walking back to his original position. "A little fear will control the minds of the common people. No need to waste money on them."

I narrowed my eyes, god I had always hated this speech.

"He likes to make speeches, just like his father." Tifa sounded amused.

"His taste in politics is far worse though," I pointed out. "People in fear will eventually become angry over their fear and not listen to reason, lashing out at those who seem secure."

"Get Aeris and Rachas out of this building," Zack barked.

"What? Why?"

"This poses a problem to the plan. Get them out of here." Barret shrugged and headed back towards the door, Aeris, and Red following.

I stood my ground. "This man poses the most immediate threat to Aeris," I stated. "You need back up and I want to insure Shinra doesn't come after her again."

"I have Cloud, now get going."

I took a step back, wondering if I should do as he asked. Kunsel was starting to edge through the door, a highly reluctant Tifa a step behind him.

"Why do you want to fight me?" Rufus was speaking again.

"You seek the Promised Land and Sephiroth." Cloud replied for all of us.

"Hm, exactly." He walked over to the emptier side of the balcony and turned to us. "Did you know Sephiroth was an Ancient?" His question almost seemed aimed at me.

"I'm not gonna allow you or Sephiroth to get the Promised Land!" Zack readied his buster sword. "Rachas, get going."

"Fine," I finally gave in. I began my own trek to the door.

Everyone minus Zack and Cloud raced down the stairs to the 69th floor. Upon reaching the floor though, Tifa and Kunsel both stopped, declaring that they were going to wait for Cloud and Zack.

"How are we on materia?" I asked before we started for the elevator again. One quick check of our equipment later told me that we two restores, two lightnings, two fires, a poison, the elemental materia, an all materia, and two ice materia.

As we divvied up the materia, Barret only wanted one materia, and since he was the only one who could attack from a distance, we armed him with a fire.

Red was equipped with a fire, the poison, and an ice.

Aeris and I each took a restore and a lightning, her taking the All, and I took the Elemental and the ice materia I had used on the pillar.

We all entered the elevator without incident and I stared out at the city far below us for a moment before feeling a disturbance. Glancing up, I felt my throat dry at the sight of the approaching machine.

"Guys, we have company!" I called, pointing at the robot in the opposing elevator.

The robot rapidly came to our level, shooting out the glass of the elevator. Internally I groaned as I realized we were going to be fighting this thing while pretty much rubbing elbows.

Barret started off the battle by firing at the robot as I powered up a lightning spell. Beside me both Red and Aeris began to cast as well, Red a fire spell, Aeris a lightning spell of her own.

Barret's volley ended as my spell rocketed through the machine followed quickly by Red's fire, Aeris's lightning, and then Barret was firing again. Across from us, the helicopter robot finally began to return fire.

Fighting on the elevator was worse than I thought it would be because at that moment everyone tried to dodge the wild shots of the machine. I discovered myself practically sitting on Red, Aeris on top of me, Barret still barely standing, gun still blazing.

Forcing myself back to my feet as I helped Aeris steady herself, I powered up another lightning spell, Aeris doing the same, while Red powered up an ice spell. We needed to find a way to get rid of this thing, fast!

We managed to fire another round of spells before our opponent fired another round of bullets at us. This time, instead of almost falling on Red when I dodged, I found myself with my arms circling Barret's waist to keep from falling after he accidently knocked into me. Aeris and Red had simply hit the ground. Red responded to the assault with an attack that I recognized as his Limit Break, Sled Fang. Barret fired again right after Red returned to our elevator.

We all stared as the robot ditched its wheels and most of its armament then and seemed to sprout a set of propellers. Damn, almost done but now it would be a bit more difficult to hit!

I cast another lightning spell only for the now much more agile machine to narrowly dodge it, but it ran straight into Aeris's own spell. It retaliated by zipping over our elevator and attempting an assault using the drill on its lower half.

Everyone scattered as best we could, but there wasn't enough room for us to fully dodge. All of us now had a fair number of cuts and gashes which Aeris immediately took care of using the Restore materia paired with the All.

I acted without thinking once more, rising to my feet, hands in front of me. Relaxing into the power, my objective was simply to insure this thing would finally be stopped. The lightning that sprang from my fingertips was blue in color and danced through the air in a violent display. The robotic helicopter sparked spectacularly as the assault continued, circuits frying, and then it finally died.

_With Zack and Cloud_

Their fight against Rufus had been a short but brutal one, with Cloud taking out Dark Nation quickly then both he and Zack had ducked behind the Buster Sword for cover to avoid Rufus's gunfire. The fight had then changed into a game of dodging Rufus's shots as they attempted to get close enough to land a blow, spells flying back and forth.

Rufus decided very quickly that he had had enough and escaped by grabbing a ladder from the helicopter. The friends stared after the new President for a moment before both turned and raced back into the office and down the stairs. Kunsel and Tifa were waiting for them in the lobby, and all four of them had jumped into the elevator.

"What the heck did those guys do to this thing?" Cloud exclaimed.

"I don't think it was just them." Kunsel pointed at the opposite lift. "That side is just as busted up."

Minutes later they arrived in the lobby and saw the others waiting for them.

_Normal_

"Damn it! We're surrounded!" Barret announced angrily.

"You should all get out of here; maybe if I surrender you'll all be able to slip through."

"Not happening," both Zack and I told Aeris.

"You got caught up in all of this because of Marlene. Now, it's my turn to watch out for you," Barret called out.

"I've got an idea!" Cloud called as he rushed up the stairs to the display area. The rest of us followed quickly, everyone quickly catching on when they saw Cloud had situated himself upon a bike.

"Great idea!" Zack jumped upon the nearest bike he saw. Kunsel took a bit more care in selecting a bike for himself.

"I'll drive!" I yelled as the rest of us ran down stairs for the truck on display, Barret and Red jumping into the back as Aeris, Tifa, and I climbed into the cab.

"Can you drive?" Tifa asked.

"Yep!" I replied then noticed something that changed the situation completely. "But not stick shift. You drive." I situated myself into the center of the seat then and desperately wished the truck had been an automatic.

Tifa gave me a bit of a weird look, but slid into the driver's seat without complaint.

The trip up the stairs was a bit bumpy, but all four vehicles managed it just fine. Glancing around the truck, I couldn't help but grin as the motorcycles fell into formation around us as we burst through the second story window of Shinra. Moments later we were on the highway, Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel falling behind the truck as Shinra troopers attempted to stop us. Only one of the troopers managed to get past the three raging motocycle SOLDIERs and he was promptly dealt with by Barret's gun.

The end of the road approached very quickly and then I saw that final machine we had to fight. Turning in the seat, I watched the approach of the boss even as Kunsel and Zack both tried to attack the thing.

Pushing open the back window, I managed to squeeze my way onto the truck bed. "Red, Barret, use the fire materia and aim for the tires!" I yelled as I readied my lighning materia.

Both of them immediately started to cast, neither asking why. I also began casting, throwing two lightning spells at the boss before we felt Tifa begin to break. Red had managed to cast two fire spells already at that point as well while Barret was in the midst of casting a second fire spell himself.

Behind us, the boss had begun to slow down as well, the brakes on the thing causing the tires to heat up even more. Barret's next fire spell officially blew the tires, a shower of sparks and flames erupting behind the machine where the axles now scraped upon the ground.

Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel stopped next to the truck and jumped clear of their bikes, swords drawn, right as the boss came to a screeching stop before us.

"Don't think it won't be able to hurt us!" Kunsel yelled as Aeris and Tifa joined us.

"Got it!" Tifa led the charge this time, launching herself off of one of the lower appendages to get herself up to where the main sensors seemed to be. She punched; hitting one of the sensors dead center, but her follow up was skewed because the machine's arm attempted to make a swipe at her.

Kunsel made the next charge, launching himself at the sweeping arm that had almost caught Tifa. The thin arm screeched and bent because of the SOLDIER's powerful blow.

Aeris cast a lightning spell then, the same moment as Cloud also cast lightning, while Zack charged forward to further maim the machine by slicing clean through the second arm.

I attempted to focus on my lightning materia again but was stopped by an enormous wave of dizziness. Typical that I had reached my limit already. Digging through my pack, I pulled out my last grenade. I hurled it at the machine, getting lucky when it exploded on the first arm's shoulder, fully destroying the arm that Kunsel had bent.

The machine finally retaliated on us, the flamethrowers on its shoulders breathing flames upon us. Once again in under an hour I was cursing about limited space as everyone attempted to scatter to avoid the flaming salvo sent at us only for a number of us, mostly Aeris and me, to run into someone before hitting the ground.

The flames continued for almost 10 seconds before finally tapering off. I felt a little crispy due to the heat, but glancing around I found that Barret had actually been burned as had Kunsel.

"Keep attacking!" I ordered Aeris as I headed over to Barret, pulling out a potion as I did.

"Ain't you gonna cast?" Barret demanded as I raced over.

"Can't, I'm out of magic right now," I responded as I handed him the potion.

"I've got an ether." Kunsel dug through his pack as I pulled another potion out for Barret.

"Why isn't this working?" My frustration was mounting a bit as I realized that the burn wasn't fading.

"Potions only work for invigorating, they don't actually heal wounds!" Kunsel passed me the ether and I quickly downed it then cast cure on them both. Their wounds finally receded and I still had enough power for a few more spells.

Kunsel jumped up the moment he was able, charging to join Zack and Cloud. Barret stood and unleashed another round of bullets.

The machine wasn't looking too good anymore; Red had latched on to a sensor on the head, effectively blinding the machine. Tifa managed to get behind the machine and was pummeling the back. Zack and Cloud were hacking the machine from the front. Barret's shower caused both the SOLDIERs to scatter, and then Cloud once again leaped high into the air. Braver crashed down hard on the machine, finally shattering the machine.

Everyone took a moment to just breathe, and then I slowly approached the machine, toeing through the debris of the shattered hulk. Seeing a glint, I picked up another Star Pendant as Tifa joined me, finding 200 gil as she poked through the debris. Kunsel also approached and found an additional 150 gil.

"Well, what do we do now?" Barret asked.

"Sephiroth is alive…" Cloud stated.

"We'll find him, and we'll keep him from getting to the Promised Land." Zack walked over to Aeris then. "We need to leave Midgar, and I promised I'd take you to see the sky."

"It's morning." I pointed at the horizon where the sun was just beginning to rise. "No better time than now if we're going to leave."

"Will stoppin him save the planet?" Barret called out.

"Seems like it." Cloud stared out at the distance.

"Awright, I'm in!"

"Not losing me that easily!" I called out.

"I will too, there are some things I want to find out." Aeris glanced at me as she said this.

"About the Ancients?"

"Many things."

"I guess this's good bye, Midgar." Tifa approached Cloud.

The cable we climbed down from was from a crane that was just off the edge of the highway. There was a brief argument as we tried to determine who would go first before it was decided that Zack would descend first, carrying Red. He clambered down the wire easily, not seeming to notice Red's extra weight at all, arriving on the ground easily.

Aeris followed him when he was halfway down, slowly making her way down the wire, followed by Tifa, then Barret, then me, then Kunsel, and finally Cloud who insisted being our rearguard. The entire time that I climbed down, I focused on the plate above me as I slowly descended. I was all too happy to finally reach the bottom.

The moment my feet hit the ground, I felt a very vivid rush and the whispers, which had been oddly absent since my capture by Shinra, were back with a vengeance. Everything whispered, wanting to tell me something, about the monsters, animals, and humans that had been there, the last time it had rained, and much, much more.

"I'm going back to my hometown; I'll go with you as far as that." Red's voice cut through the strange euphoria I felt through my reconnection with the planet.

"This will be the first time I've ever left Midgar."

"Always best to go somewhere new with friends," I told her without thinking. Absently I wondered if she heard the planet like I did right then.

"Rachas is right, we're all here!" Zack was grinning, looking very happy about something.

"Let's go!" Cloud called.

"We need a group leader for our journey. 'Course only me could be the leader." Barret was about to have his bubble burst.

"You think so…" Tifa murmured.

"It would have to be Zack," Aeris stated with a smile.

"I second that," Kunsel called out.

"I think Cloud would be good also!" Tifa called out.

"So, Zack as leader and Cloud as the second?" I asked.

"Sounds good to me," Zack called out as he grabbed Cloud into a headlock.

"Fuck it! Awright, head northeast to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there. And we can't have eight people strolling down the fields. Split us into two parties."

"Let's not have two people that would be targeted in the same group," Kunsel called out, giving meaningful looks to Aeris and me.

"There are more targets than just us," I countered, glancing at him, Cloud, and Zack. "Each of us is now a wanted person in some capacity."

"So, what do you suggest?" Zack asked, glancing between myself and Kunsel.

We both visibly thought for a moment, balancing the various ideas for dividing teams.

"Zack, Aeris, Barret, and Tifa in one group, the rest of us in the other. That would give both groups a spell caster and a SOLDIER," I replied.

"I was thinking something along the same lines, except to have Barret on the same team as Rachas since he can attack from a distance and she's tired herself." He gave me an apologetic look.

Zack thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright, like they suggested. My group will head out first; Cloud's will follow in about ten minutes." Everyone agreed and the first group gathered themselves and left.

Sinking to the ground as I watched the others walk away, I realized how tired I was starting to get. My headache was starting to return also, so I located what was left of my candy and transferred it from my pack to my pocket, popping one piece into my mouth.

In those few minutes we had before leaving, I thought back on the last several days, remembering the conversations I had had with Aeris, then on spying on Zack and Cloud. I finally got to laugh as I remembered seeing him cross-dress, then on how both of us had observed the Urban Development department as they compounded the numbers of the living and cost of rebuilding, and AVALACHE…

I froze instantly, thoughts locked on those brief moments when Aeris and I had both left our bodies behind. Could Aeris be a potential Jedi?

"Let's go!" Cloud's voice snapped me back to reality and I stood, ready to get a move on. I was definitely going to be asking Gaia some questions tonight when I slept.

The wastes that surrounded Midgar went out for miles, looking very much like a desert. The day was also promising to be a hot one, and though tempted, I didn't remove my hood or my jacket. I needed protection from the sun.

After almost an hour of walking we finally left the wastes immediately around Midgar and the land became green and lively. All around us birds chirped, the occasional small animal scurried through the grass, and the whispers of the planet became almost continuous. I had thought I would feel violated by the constant sound, but oddly enough I found it comforting.

"So, where are you guys from?" Kunsel attempted to make conversation.

"Nibelheim."

"Banora."

Barret clammed up and refused to say, and after exchanging a shrug with Cloud and Kunsel, none of us pressed the subject.

"So, has anyone ever been to Kalm?" I asked, desperate for conversation. We'd been walking for hours now, the wastes far behind us, and I was getting tired. The fact we had pulled a half-way all-nighter also made it a bit difficult.

"You're a pilot, ain't you ever been?" Barret asked.

"Yeah, but I usually stay at the airport or in the field where I land."

"I've been," Kunsel volunteered. "The town itself is a good size, but I swear to you, someone must have brainwashed the entire town into painting the majority of the buildings blue." His comment drew a few short laughs.

Sometime shortly noon Kalm began to come into sight. I was beyond relieved. I think all of us really needed some food, and I needed something more than the candy in my pocket. I had offered some to the others, only Cloud had taken any and it was probably a good thing; I was down to my last piece.

Bit by bit, Kalm grew on the horizon, became clearer. We passed by outlaying farms in our trek toward the town; animals both familiar and foreign were in some fields but most contained vegetables and grains.

When we arrived in town all of us headed immediately for the inn, ready to sit down after a long day of walking. Since it was only mid-afternoon, we had some time before official dinner time.

The innkeeper had already checked in the first party and had been informed of our eminent arrival, so he simply directed us up the stairs. The room that our party found ourselves in was a bit too small for eight people, but it was all they had available.

"So let's hear your story. You know, the one about Sephiroth and the planet?" I already knew the story but I paid some attention as Zack explained how he had met Sephiroth through his mentor. How they'd gone to Nibelheim on a mission. How Sephiroth had had his freak out after a week in the Shinra basement and burned Nibelheim down. How he had followed Sephiroth to the reactor, fought him, lost, and then Cloud had come and finished the fight. He went no further than that. He got no questions since almost everyone had heard the story once already.

"The Ancients… Cetra… Jenova… Sephiroth, Rachas, and myself." Aeris murmured, she looked so confused.

Glancing at my watch, I saw that it was now half past five. Perfect time to suggest food. "Guys, we've all had a long day. I suggest we get some dinner, we'll all be able to think a bit better after some food and rest."

"I agree with that." Kunsel rose first followed shortly by Barret and Zack.

As everyone filed from the room, I heard Red murmur as he got up on all fours, "What an interesting story."

I resisted the huge urge to scratch him behind the ears, god I missed dogs and cats. "Everyone has their secrets, this isn't the time to push for theirs."


	14. Chapter 14

SA: Another day, another chapter.

Zas: And the last of the Easter chocolate! (runs off with chocolate)

Saria: Get back here! (attempts to give chase using her walker)

Tori: Well, Saria is almost back to normal!

SA: (eyes the walker) Almost.

zzzzzzzzzz

Dinner that night was a simple affair of eight people piling around two tables at the town's tavern. The food was a simple stew that was cooked to the point where I couldn't identify what any of us were eating but it was still infinitely better than what Shinra had provided. Everyone was getting to be in relatively high spirits: Aeris and I had been rescued and we had all gotten away.

After the dinner when we had all trooped back to the inn, we came to a new conundrum: who was sleeping in the beds. We girls had no problem with sharing beds, the boys definitely did though.

"Ain't sharin with any of you!" Barret yelled as I returned from the bathroom after a shower and brushing my teeth.

"You're not my first choice either." Kunsel was standing next to one of the beds, not looking too happy. "And the lovebirds have already called one another."

I groaned as I glanced at the other two beds and realized he was right. Sure enough, Zack and Aeris were by one bed. Luckily, Tifa was still available to share right then. "So, are we sharing?" I asked her.

"Seems like it," she responded, glancing over at where Cloud was attempting to placate Barret who looked ready to go on a rampage.

It took ten minutes to calm everyone down and to get everyone to agree to a solution. The partners agreed upon for the night would be Zack and Aeris, Kunsel and Cloud, and Tifa and me sharing. Red and Barret would sleep on the floor with Barret getting all the comforters from the beds.

Sleep came quickly enough, and with it, the green meeting space that I needed to get to. There were quite a few questions I had that needed to be answered.

"_What do you wish to know?"_ The voice drifted out to me almost immediately.

"First off, about Aeris."

"_She is as you think. You would be able to teach her the abilities I granted you. Your teaching would also strengthen her connection."_

"Well at least you're getting straight to the point," I grumbled. "Then what about the dark abilities you allowed me? I asked to be a Jedi, not a Sith!"

"_You are too caught up in the rights and wrongs of this world, and it is not as black and white as you assume."_

"A Sith is a selfish and greed motivated being! I don't want to have their abilities."

"_A Sith as you call them, are essentially Jedi in ability. They use the same power, just drawing upon it by a different means."_

"That doesn't mean I should like it! Sith only hurt everything around them, why would I want that?" Around me the green stream almost seemed to solidify again, wrapping me into my second embrace from the planet. I attempted to dislodge it with a shrug.

"_You don't seem to realize, life is life. The energy produced by it, what is present in the Lifestream, is not inherently good or evil; it is all about your intents behind your actions. Much like with fire and the intents people can have with it. A good use would be to warm yourself and those around you, whereas a bad use would be to use it to burn down a town." _An image of Sephiroth burning down Nibelheim filled the area. _"In the end, it is always people."_

I bit my lip, she did have me there. No matter which way you cut it, both times I had performed the Lightning technique I had not really felt off or wrong about it. The first time had been while under duress, the second time had been me trying to protect my new friends from a machine. No real darkness in either act. Maybe I was a bit too caught up in Jedi the fictional characters and forgetting that this was me in reality.

Sighing, I pushed away from the meeting ground and let my mind drift, allowing myself to fall into a normal sleep.

_With Shinra_

That day had been a long day of first cleaning up the building and then bringing the executives back under control. Rufus had to laugh though at all the posturing that had been done by most of the executives, obviously hoping to get on his good side.

The exceptions had been Scarlett and Heidigger, they had attempted to capitalize on how young he was in order to try to gain a greater foothold in the company.

Turning in the chair of HIS new office to stare out of the bay window, Rufus let his mask slip for just a moment and he soaked in a feeling of accomplishment with a smile. His father was gone and he was now the President of Shinra.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs caused him to abruptly shove the mask back into place and as Tseng appeared, he gazed at the man with a calculating indifference.

"Do you have the information I asked you for?" Rufus asked.

"Yes sir," Tseng replied as he handed over eight files. Rufus laid out the folders Tseng had handed him, noting that the blond female had near no information on anything except medical tests. They hadn't even written a name, just noted a nickname that read 'Raches'. "Quite the motley crew, what do you think of the SOLDIERs?"

"Fair is the charismatic individual, very loyal to his friends. He doesn't seem to be after Shinra's destruction, but he will get in our way if his friends are endangered by us. The other one, Kunsel, is loyal to his friends. They are more important to him than his job here which is why he was so quick to join Fair when he found out he was alive."

Rufus internally huffed, loyalty was all well and good, but these people confused him. Flipping through the other folders again, he dismissed the former infantryman, the research specimen, and the two AVALANCHE members. "What about the two Ancients?" he asked, pushing the folders on the two women in front of Tseng.

"Ms. Gainsborough is a bright individual; she's honest and seems capable of making anyone like her. She's romantically involved with Fair last we knew." Indicating the second folder Tseng continued, "The second one we have near no information or observations on. She admitted to torturing a spy and wanted to know if other people were able to escape Sector 7 after her little display. There was a rumor, never confirmed, of her having some sort of ability to allow her to temporarily control people."

"Quite the ability," Rufus declared with a smirk, dismissing the folders for later inspection. "I doubt they'll be any real threat though. I'll be dismissing the search for them from now on; I want the Turks to focus on monitoring and following Sephiroth."

"Of course," Tseng stated then departed to issue the order.

_Normal_

When I woke up the next morning, I had already come to one conclusion: I was not going to train Aeris right away. The last thing I needed was for her to have foresight; that would make protecting her in the Forgotten City much more difficult, especially if she believed others would be endangered by her.

As for the Sith skills explanation, I don't think Gaia would steer me wrong on this. She wanted me to protect Aeris, and a Sith wouldn't do anything remotely like that.

That morning as we all ate breakfast Cloud announced that someone had told him that they had spotted a man in a black cloak heading east.

"Alright, let's get going!" Zack was on his feet in a second, already heading for the door.

"We need supplies," I stated simply as I grabbed his ear again and guided him back to our table amid the laughter of our companions.

"I got some things that'll be useful," Barret handed out PHSs to everyone at the table. "Ain't got anymore of those, don't lose 'em."

"So we need camping gear, food, and hygiene items," Kunsel listed. "We'll split up into pairs and buy the necessary supplies."

"Alright, hey Rachas, how much money do you have?"

Counting out the money quickly, I replied, "31,980 gil, strange."

"Yeah, we kind of had to tap into your savings while we were trying to save you and Aeris." Cloud looked pretty apologetic.

"I thought it was strange that there was still so much there, Cloud."

We paired up after that, partners determined by drawing straws. Barret and Aeris were one team, Kunsel and Cloud another, then Zack and Red, and finally Tifa and me. Passing out 1500 gil to each team, each pair set out to buy a tent, food and water, and whatever other necessities we could think of.

It was right after Tifa and I had bought the tent and some dehydrated food that I realized a new problem. My pack was filled with some questionable items that I really didn't want to have to explain, and on the journey our group was planning to go on, it was almost a guarantee that someone was going to see or find something, if they hadn't already. I was going to need to ditch a half of my stuff!

"Hey, Tifa, how about instead of carrying around water we buy a purifier or some iodine? It would save on weight and space."

"Hmm…" Was Tifa's reply as she moved off through the shelves.

Turning to the owner of the store, I thought about inquiring about public lockers but stopped. If I had a key for one of those, Cait Sith might report it and the locker might get searched! Not to mention that the owners of the facility might sweep the lockers and toss out all my stuff.

"Do you need something?" The owner asked.

"Do you supply lock boxes and name plates?" I asked as a new idea hit me.

zzzzzzzzzz

An hour later Tifa and I were finished with our shopping and were heading back to the inn. We had a tent, canteens, food, a water purifier, sleeping bags, rapidly dissolving toilet paper, soap, and several other necessities. I still needed to restock on emergency candy, but I'd do that in a while.

"I got to go somewhere," I announced as I dumped the supplies back on the bed. Tifa and I were apparently the first to finish since no one else was back yet. "I won't be longer than an hour or two."

"Do you need someone to come with you?" Tifa looked up from organizing the supplies.

"No, I'd prefer to be alone for this." I walked out of the inn then, passing Cloud and Kunsel on their way back in, their arms loaded with supplies. I held the door open for them as they passed and left without a word. After asking for directions from several people, I made my way easily to my intended destination.

Finding a quiet, shady corner, I yanked the lock box from my bag and began to rifle through my bag, removing anything that was questionable or suspicious. The first things to be tossed in were my Kindle Fire, cellphone, PSVita, and their power cords. My wallet, passport, radio operator's license, pilot licenses, medical, logbooks, and non-Gaia charts followed, along with two of my books. I hesitated over Jedi Healer, and then decided to keep it.

Finding nothing else that I considered sensitive or telling, I used a nearby stone as a shovel to help me dig a hole deep enough to bury the lock box. It took a little while, but eventually the hole was big enough to bury the box completely. After completely covering the hole, I pulled out the name plate which the store owner had been willing to engrave for me and set it upon the mound.

Gazing down at the mound, I admired my handiwork before frowning at the name I had chosen. _Vincent Kaze_, my grandfather's name with my fake family name tagged onto the back of it. It seemed almost fitting to have him guarding my secrets though.

Gathering my things, I zipped up my pack and slowly left the cemetery, certain that my things were safe. The lock box I had chosen was waterproof on the inside, metal on the outside, so it should be safe against the elements, and who was honestly going to rob the grave of someone who based on the size, had been cremated?

As I walked through Kalm, my bag now significantly lighter, I noticed a small shop that seemed to specialize in candy. Checking inside, my mouth watered at the sight of all the brightly colored wrappers for candy and chocolate. Grabbing a bag, I rushed through the aisles, at first tempted to grab anything with chocolate, then reminded myself that I would be traveling and chocolate would most likely melt and make a mess. Instead I grabbed a mix of hard candies, and a few chocolate pieces that I could eat before we left Kalm.

After paying for the sweets while heading back to the inn, I ran into a certain puppy and his minder.

"Rachas!" Zack called as he ran over, Red on his heels. In Zack's arms were a tent and a toothbrush. "We're ready to go! Have you finished shopping already?"

"I've finished, but why don't you have a sleeping bag or food?" Zack froze comically before turning around and charging back toward the shops. I laughed then turned my attention to Red who carried a package in his jaws. "Would you like some help?"

"Iam fuhine," was Red's muffled response.

"Maybe we should get you a pack as well," I mused aloud with a laugh.

We arrived at the inn a minute later, right as Aeris and Barret arrived. She was holding the door open for Barret who was apparently trying to be a gentleman and carry all the supplies.

Upstairs everyone minus Zack was divvying up the available supplies. Everyone had thought to get a sleeping bag, Red being the one exception. Aeris had bought a pack for herself and we all began to pack.

We had three tents, two water purifiers, ten canteens, enough food for each person to eat two meals a day for two weeks, four bars of soap, toilet paper, and more. There was even flint for starting fires. Just as everyone finished packing, Zack came bounding through the door, sleeping bag and tent under one arm and enough jerky to last a month under the other, his toothbrush was in his mouth.

Everyone in the room who was capable of it performed a facepalm.

zzzzzzzzzz

I had thought that we would stay in Kalm one more night and set out early the next morning, but the general opinion of everyone in the group was that since it was only early afternoon we could get going that day.

As we departed to the east we passed the graveyard and I couldn't help but glance in to the yard, focusing on the corner where I had placed my things and the nameplate.

Everyone started conversations within a few minutes of us leaving Kalm, discussing everything from what happened in Midgar. I answered questions on how I recognized the spy, thankful that Marlene was distraught to the point where she didn't mention the Kindle and me ordering the man into the bar. Then Cloud asked about what happened in the labs.

"Nothing." I must have responded a little too quickly if the looks everyone gave me were anything to go by.

"They just took blood samples then measured and weighed us," Aeris added.

"So in other words, Hojo didn't get the opportunity to do anything," Zack stated.

"Pretty much," I responded as I dug through my pack for the sunscreen I'd bought.

"You got very lucky then," Kunsel stated. "I've never seen it personally, but there are rumors of all sorts of experiments that that mad man has been involved in. Beings that completely lost their original form and twisted to the point where their instincts have been completely overwritten."

"I've seen some of those," Red admitted. "That specimen we fought in the lab was one such experiment."

Everyone seemed to agree that the subject was a bit too intense and conversation tapered into two or three conversations at a time for the rest of the day. That evening we pitched camp right as the sun was setting. It was not my first time camping, not by a long shot, but it was my first time pitching a tent like this without instructions.

"Ok, I can get this… Just reach…" Talking to yourself isn't just a sign of insanity, it is also a sign of someone very focused on what they are doing. I had finally gotten my tent to stand in a manner that looked about right and was now in the midst of trying to tie off one of the tent flaps. Unfortunately, I needed a hammer to drive a stake into the ground and of course said hammer was just out of reach. Stretching out my arm as far as I could, I focused on the hammer, calling to it with the power without even thinking, causing it to jump into my hand.

Driving the stake into the ground, and looping the tie down onto the stake, I stepped back to check my handiwork. It looked pretty solid.

A quick glance around the camp showed that Barret was still trying to set up his tent, mine being the second to last to be set up. Zack had collected fire wood, Aeris and Tifa had taken the purifiers to the river to collect water, Red was patrolling the area, and Cloud and Kunsel were trying to rescue Barret who had just fallen into the tent after it had twisted around his gunarm.

Things settled down a few minutes later when Barret was finally freed and Zack had gotten a fire started thanks to a fire materia.

As we sat around the fire that night, everyone organized their own dinner from the supplies they had carried so all around the fire everyone was eating a mix of jerky, dried fruit, ration bars, and water. The purifiers worked decently, only a few specks of dirt were present. Everyone's canteens were filled and ready to go for the next day.

"Alright, let's divide into four watches tonight. I'll go first; do I have any volunteers for the rest of the night?" Zack asked as he finished eating.

"Second!" Kunsel and Cloud announced at the same time.

"Last!" I called out as Kunsel and Cloud did rock paper scissors over the second and third watches.

"Alright, so everyone else will have their watches tomorrow." Turning to Kunsel, who had won the second watch, Zack said, "I'll wake you in two hours."

Everyone rose then, and after several brief discussions, it was decided that tent partners would be decided on the nights you had watch. Barret shared with Red, Tifa with Aeris, Zack with Kunsel, and Cloud with me.

Cloud and I entered our tent quickly, both of us quickly unrolling our sleeping bags.

"Are you doing ok?" I asked after a moment as we both climbed into our sleeping bags.

"Seems I should be asking you that," Cloud responded. "You were caught because of us and spent time in that lab."

"I got caught saving thousands of lives, lives that were threatened by Shinra. You have nothing to feel guilty about," I assured him. "As for the lab, seems you and Zack are likely to have had it worse."

"But I said I'd get you when we were on the tower. If I had been faster at reachi.."

"Cloud, things happen. Some things you can do something about; others, although you regret them, you can only promise to do better in the future." I looked him in the eye, intent to kill this seed of hopelessness before it rooted the way it had in Advent Children. "If you fixate on the past and what you should or could have done, you'll miss your opportunity to prevent something similar from happening in the future."

Cloud's look was of uncertainty; he was definitely still doubted what I'd just said. It was going to take a while to convince him, and likely a few talks from Zack, Tifa, and myself.

zzzzzzzzzz

Cloud shook me awake hours later. I was tired still, but capable of functioning. As I stepped out of the tent for my watch, I noted that the fire was still going strong, keeping the cool night air at bay. The wood for the fire was low though.

After feeding the fire a few more branches to insure it would continue going strong, I circled our camping area, looking for more potential firewood. Luckily there were plenty of dry branches on the ground to be found, though they were rather small. Gathering a large armful, I moved back into the circle of light in the center of our camp and placed them near the fire.

The sky was just beginning to discolor in the east, indicating the sun would rise in the next few hours, but that didn't disguise the amazing view of the stars I had when I looked up. They were brighter than I had ever seen the stars, the colors not nearly as washed out as they were on Earth. They also looked completely alien. No matter how I looked, I couldn't locate Orion, Ursa Major, or Ursa Minor, the only constellations I could recognize. It reinforced the fact that this wasn't Earth, and for the first time, a wave of severe homesickness washed over me. The stars had always been a comfort to me and that I didn't recognize any of them here… Maybe I should get a book on constellations.

An hour into my watch I was joined at the fire by Red. Like me, he gazed up at the stars as they slowly faded from the sky. I don't know why, but at some point I reached over and started to scratch behind his ears. Surprisingly, he didn't pull away or say anything, just continued to sit there as I scratched his ears.

"What were you doing in the cemetery yesterday?" Red asked out of nowhere.

"Placing a marker," I responded after a moment.

"For who?"

"My grandfather. You and Zack saw then?"

Red didn't answer at first and then nodded his head. "We didn't mean to invade a private moment. But you shouldn't walk around like that, not with Shinra chasing you and the other Cetra girl."

"Her name is Aeris, and thank you."

"For what?" Red's confusion was evident in his voice.

"For calling us our proper name instead of Ancients."

Silence surrounded us for a moment, and then Red spoke again. "Were you and your grandfather close?"

"Very," I responded, remembering the wonderful old man who had been the main adult of my life. "Were you close to yours?"

"Very," Red replied.

Silence prevailed again, and then Red asked one last question.

"When did he die?"

"Five years ago," I answered quietly. A tent opened a moment later and there was Zack, staring at me.

"Rachas, I need to talk to you," Zack began but was interrupted by Barret forcing his way out of his tent, bumping into Zack, and sending them both bouncing into the tent Cloud and I shared. Cloud had a rather rude awakening, as did Kunsel because Zack took the tent with him, and Aeris and Tifa were awakened by the noise.

While doing my best to hold back my laughter, I did some quick math and realized just that by being honest on how long ago my grandpa had died, I had lined up his time of death with the Banora massacre. And if Zack and Red had seen me in the graveyard, then quite possibly they saw that I hadn't really buried a body. They might associate those items to mementos of my grandpa. I had just made a slightly bad situation much worse.

I kept my distance from Zack that morning as we ate breakfast and broke down camp. As we continued our trek eastbound, I did my best to stay close to other members of the party, to not be caught alone with Zack.

We had had several fights that day with the local monsters, nothing that was too bad, and had picked up several hundred in gil. I also got to learn firsthand how to extract the money and dropped items from monsters, and it reminded me of my biology final when I got to dissect a fetal pig and a cat except on a much bigger scale. Aeris proved to be a bit squeamish about the extractions though, as did Barret. They instead served as look outs while the rest of us collected the goods. As the sun was setting, the chocobo farm finally came into view.

"Kunsel, you and Tifa go talk to the farmers, see if they know anything about Sephiroth, or "a man in a black cloak"."

Cloud walked over to the chocobo pin as Zack instructed Kunsel and Tifa, and I couldn't help but laugh as the chocobos began to gather at the fence, nuzzling Cloud as they did so. One particular chocobo started trying to groom his hair.

"Looks like we know who to turn to if we need chocobos!" I teased as I approached the fence myself. To my horror, two of the chocobos turned their attention towards me; one of them was the one that was grooming Cloud's hair.

"Wark wark wark," chirped a chocobo that was nuzzling Cloud.

"Wark!" I responded, doing my best to copy the sound of the chocobo.

Immediately all four of the chocobos stepped away from Cloud and me and began the funny little dance that they did. Behind us, laughter and a little bit of applause rose from Aeris as the chocobos finished, and one of the birds approached me again, this time with a red materia in its beak which it dropped into my hand.

"Thank you!" I called after the chocobo as it strutted away from the fence.

"What is it?" Red asked as he approached the fence were Cloud and I still stood.

"A summon materia," I responded holding it in front of me.

"You found it, you keep it," Zack called out.

Kunsel and Tifa returned then, bringing with them news that a man in a dark cloak had been spotted heading south, toward the swamps.

"Alright! Let's get going!" Zack announced, cutting Kunsel off.

"Wait! There's a Midgar Zolom there!" Kunsel yelled after his overeager friend.

Zack came to a screeching halt at the word Zolom, and stared at Kunsel. "Are you certain?"

"Yeah, the only way through is with a chocobo, and none of these are available for rent," Kunsel stated, anticipating Zack's next question. "We were able to buy a chocobo lure though, so we can catch some chocobos enroute to the swamp."

"But that'll take forever!" Zack complained as he bounced from foot to foot.

"Zack, there is a saying in aviation: I'd rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air than in the air wishing I was on the ground."

"Whas's that supposed to mean?" Barret asked.

"It means to look at what you are heading into and make a safe decision," I replied. "Or in this case, would you rather face a Zolom to try to save a few hours, or avoid aforementioned Zolom and not run the possibility of having a severely injured friend?"

"Chocobo," six people declared, myself included. The two who had been silent were Red and Cloud.

"I'm not voting, I can't ride a chocobo," Red said when everyone glanced at him.

"Get this thing off of me!" Cloud was being motherhenned by another one of the chocobos and was once again getting his hair groomed.

After dragging Cloud away from the pen amidst Barret's laughter and declarations that we already had two chocobo lures, we left the farm and quickly located several trails for chocobos. Luckily, Kunsel and Tifa had bought some greens, and when we finally encountered our first chocobo, we were able to quickly catch it. It took several hours, but everyone managed to catch a chocobo save Red.

We had them corralled in a meadow, tied off to trees, right as the sun began to set. Everyone agreed that it would be best to spend the night there and start out again in the morning, so camp was hastily set up, this time with Tifa, Kunsel, Zack, and Cloud setting up the tents while Red once again patrolled, Barret gathered wood, and Aeris and I got water.

"How are you doing?" I asked Aeris as we walked to the river.

"I'm doing alright, though this is very different. Do you think we'll catch up to Sephiroth?"

"We might," I responded. "How are you with the sky?"

"It's very different. I look up at it and every so often, it feels like I could fall into it, but it's not as scary as I thought it would be."

"If you want to see something very beautiful, then check out the stars tonight. They're very bright."

Aeris smiled as we sat next to the river, pouring water into the purifiers and filling the canteens. "Then I'll make sure to look."

Around us, just as they had since we left Midgar, the voices of the planet whispered. The river gurgled happily about the mountains had started in while all around the trees whispered about winters and animals that had lived in them.

"The river is talking about a waterfall it left behind as it left the mountains," I stated as I finished filling another canteen. "Maybe we'll get to see it tomorrow."

Aeris looked over at me, her eyes confused. "You hear the planet even now?"

"Yeah," I replied, feeling slightly concerned. Was there something wrong with this?

"I could only hear the planet in the church," Aeris responded to my unasked question.

Instantly I remembered what Gaia had told me about strengthening Aeris's connection to the planet. So this is what she had meant.


	15. Chapter 15

Zas: Man, Saria on her new medication is funny!

SA: I blame you for this…

Zas: She's the one who chose to chase me over a chocolate bunny.

Tori: Saria! Off the roof!

Saria: I'm the great beast of the skies! Fear me ye land dwellers! BWAHAHAHA!

SA: She's high…

zzzzzzzzzz

I don't know how I was able to continue dodging Zack for the rest of the night, but I think that the power was able to sense I didn't want to talk and enabled me to avoid the notice of the SOLDIER. That night, I focused on Zack's mind after climbing into the tent I shared with Cloud and pushed the thoughts of telling me about Banora to the back of his mind, shading it with thoughts of it being unimportant.

The next morning, thankfully, my efforts seemed to have worked. Zack was acting his normal self and not trying to tell me about Banora. Breakfast was quickly had and camp broken down. Everyone who had a chocobo untied theirs and prepped to depart.

"We'll be heading straight through the swamp," Zack called out as everyone scrambled onto their chocobo. "If we meet a Zolom, Kunsel and I will deal with it. The rest of you will keep on going. If we get split up, then we'll meet at the end of the swamp. And Cloud, I know you want to help, but we need at least one SOLDIER with the group."

From his chocobo, Cloud blushed slightly at Zack's words even as he opened his mouth to voice an objection.

"Don't start with that Cloud, with all you've been through, at the very least you earned the right to call yourself SOLDIER," Tifa called out, the rest of us agreeing.

Riding a chocobo was not comparable to riding a horse; it was more like riding second seat on a motorcycle on a very bumpy road while trying to steer with only your fingertips. As an adrenaline junkie I completely loved it. As a person who recognized that we had a course to run though, I quickly found I had a very strong willed chocobo.

"Come on!" I grunted as the chocobo attempted to once again overtake Zack who was in the lead. This bird was not listening, and I was loathed to think of the possibilities of what it may do if we encountered the Zolom.

The swamp was already coming into view, and according to Kunsel, even though we had spent almost half a day catching the chocobos, we had pretty much already made up the time for it.

For a brief moment when my chocobo chose to obey, I glanced around at everyone else. Aeris seemed to be weary, but her chocobo had a pretty sweet temperament. Tifa looked more comfortable than anyone, her chocobo obedient. Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel didn't seem new to riding chocobos, though Kunsel's kept trying to reach over and nip one of the other chocobo. Red was running alongside the group, most of his baggage was already being carried by others on the chocobos though.

The real spectacle was Barret. Since he only had one arm to hold on with, he had his chocobo in a modified one armed headlock, and the chocobo obviously didn't appreciate it. The bird bucked and hopped as it loped along after the group, Barret almost being thrown more than once, and never able to really sit on the bird, instead assuming a position that was more like he was lying on his stomach on the back of the bird.

My chocobo, which I had now decided to lovingly name Jerk Chicken, gave a major jerk then, once again attempting to overtake the leading chocobos.

Grunting, I gripped the makeshift rope reins we had on the birds and tried to force it to either slow down or not run into Kunsel's chocobo.

"Having trouble?" he asked as he forced his bird to not take a bite at mine as beneath us the solid ground gave way to the swamp.

"You kidding? I'm having a great time! Maybe we should start trying to breed and race these birds!" I called back with a grin as I finally forced Jerk Chicken to slow back down to the same speed as the other birds. Man, if this bird had a good amount of stamina, it might actually stand a chance in races with its attitude.

Kunsel laughed as our group rushed through the swamp. Unlike before in the open areas, we weren't able to maintain a formation in the swamp even though we were able to stay close enough to keep everyone in view. Jerk proved to be a lot easier to handle in this situation, its competitive streak thankfully stepped on for the most part. He also seemed very weary of something, and without thinking, I urged him to go faster.

The trees and watery ground that surrounded our party were grey and eerie, and every other moment I was certain that I had seen something among the vegetation. The only sounds that reached my ears were of the feet of the chocobos and Red on the swampy ground, and I was driven even more on edge. That Zolom had to be right behind us, I knew it.

The whispers of the planet began to get slightly more urgent, pecking at my ears relentlessly. It didn't make sense until I reached out with my mind to find out what was wrong.

"SCATTER!" I screamed as the Zolom rose from the marshes, its tail lashing out at several of the chocobos.

All around me, the air was filled with the sounds of the Zolom's scream, panicked chocobos, vegetation being ripped up, and the occasional shout as everyone scattered.

Glancing back, I saw that Barret and his chocobo were having a difficult time due to their poor cohesion, and Red was attempting to help him by trying to guide the chocobo from the front since Barret couldn't seem to.

I fired a strong ice spell on the ground behind Barret to stop the Zolom and turned Jerk Chicken back to aid him. Jerk oddly enough, didn't seem afraid about heading back towards the Zolom, and pulled up next to Barret and his bird easily. Reaching out, I grabbed the reins that Barret had either dropped or ignored and began to urge Jerk to run for the edge of the swamp again.

A cry from the planet alerted me to imminent danger and I fired two lightning spells at the hideous snake. "Red, dodge and use poison!" I shouted as I finally got the chocobos moving again, guiding Barret's along by the reins as I mentally urged them on through the power. The tail of the snake slapped the ground right behind us, shattering the ice and almost throwing the chocobos off of their feet. Beside us, Red howled as he cast the spell.

Rushing at what seemed like breakneck speed through the swamp; we intercepted Zack and Kunsel on their way back to look for us after almost two minutes of running and dodging.

"It's right behind us!" Barret yelled from his chocobo's back upon spying the two former SOLDIERs.

"And I think it's in a bad mood!" I added, right as the air around us began to heat rapidly.

"BETA! Everyone down!" Kunsel yelled, diving off of his chocobo.

No one needed further prompting; we all dropped off of our chocobos and onto the muddy ground. Above us the air was blistering hot and the various chocobos shrieked and ran. Next to me Jerk Chicken fell to the ground, some of his feathers scorched, but otherwise he was alive. He gave a rather pitiful "Wark," before laying his head down.

"Everyone ok?" Zack asked as he jumped back to his feet, sword in hand.

Various voices chorused that they were ok, but I was too focused on Jerk Chicken. I barely noticed as Zack and Kunsel raced off to deal with the Zolom, instead I focused on my Restore materia, casting a cure spell on Jerk. Most of the scorch marks receded quickly and Jerk wobbled a bit as he got to his feet.

"Go on, get!" I shouted at the bird as I climbed back to my feet and grabbed at Barret's good arm. Red was limping a bit as he took point as Barret and I pushed our way through the swamp after him. Several minutes later we reached a clearing where everyone else had congregated, their anxiety at our disappearance obvious.

"They're here!" Aeris rushed at us, casting a cure on Red then checking Barret and me for injuries.

"I'm ok," I assured her. "Just a bit muddy."

"A bit?" Barret growled as he attempted to scrape mud from his chest and jacket. "We look like swamp critters!" I grinned in reply as I scraped at the mud caking my own clothing.

"Typical," Zack declared with a laugh as he pushed his way out into the clearing. "The five of us fall into the mud, and the biggest is the one who complains."

"Not to mention the most rugged looking," I added, earning a light knock from Barret.

"What happened to the Zolom?" Red asked.

"You guys really did a number on the thing, whatever you did. It didn't last more than five hits and looked like it was severely poisoned."

"Good job Red!" I scratched him briefly behind the ears. I hated the Zolom fight, the easiest way to deal with the thing at our level was to cast poison, almost continuously heal, and cast whatever other spells you could when you could. Now with the dimension of being able to run away it was a bit easier to just let the poison drain the thing as we ran.

"We'll want to move now before anything else shows up," Cloud announced.

"I hear that!" Barret called.

"Alright, but we're going to be checking both Zack and Kunsel before moving." Tifa moved in a very businesslike manner towards Kunsel, Aeris towards Zack, and they both made a check on the guys.

"So, how did you guys get separated from us anyway?" Cloud asked as he approached Barret, Red, and me.

Glancing over at Barret, I saw that he was having a bit of trouble admitting his trouble.

"Jerk Chicken got hurt," I said, right as I felt a gentle nuzzle against my back.

"Jerk Chicken?" Cloud asked as I turned to find the chocobo right behind me.

"Yep, I named him Jerk Chicken!" Noticing that Jerk still wasn't completely healed, I focused and cast cure again, finally eliminating almost all signs of the Beta attack. There was just one little scar that wouldn't heal on the right side of Jerk's neck. "Alright, get going," I ordered, swatting at Jerk's head playfully. Jerk in turn just pulled back slightly to avoid my fingers then nuzzled my shoulder again. "Why couldn't you have been this sweet at the get go?"

"Let's go!" Zack called and the lot of us hefted our packs and followed him out of the clearing, even Jerk Chicken.

"Scram! Go away!" I waved my arms at the chocobo trying to scare it off, but the bird just blinked at me before flapping its stubby wings at me with a few "Wark!"s.

"I think you've made a new friend," Cloud announced with a grin. I glared at him; I just knew this was payback for my comment at the chocobo farm.

We reached the area with the staked Zolom minutes later, with me still trying to chase the chocobo away.

"Holy..." Tifa sputtered.

"So… horrible..." Aeris looked ill.

"So this is the extent of Sephiroth's power." Nanaki examined the impaled Zolom with an impressed look.

"Get this thing off of me!" Great, I was quoting Cloud now as Jerk Chicken attempted to groom me.

When the entry to the mine finally appeared, I rushed into the shaft without a second thought. "Kunsel, do you have any more of those greens?"

"Yeah, why?" Kunsel asked as he produced a green which I grabbed and tossed out of the tunnel towards Jerk.

"To distract him for a moment," I responded as I moved deeper into the cave as everyone else pushed around Jerk to enter the cave. The chocobo had ignored the greens but was starting to realize that he wasn't going to fit and was allowing everyone else to pass.

As we entered the cave, I noticed that just as the game indicated, there was plenty of light here to see by. As for the cave itself, it was magnificent! Light glinted off of metals in the walls creating sparks of light. The paths were smooth, the abysses easily seen, and all around, stalagmites and stalactites dripped water. My awe was shared by almost everyone.

"It's amazing," Tifa murmured.

"Beautiful," Aerith stated, her green gaze roving over everything.

"There are monsters everywhere here," Kunsel stated.

"Ok then, lets split into two teams. Aeris, Barret, Red, and me will head left, everyone else go right." Zack headed off down the left, his team falling into step behind him. Cloud and Kunsel led the way to the right, Tifa and I following them. Everyone had their weapons drawn.

We entered the chamber at the end of the walkway after encountering a few monsters, from which we collected more gil and a potion. In the chamber we separated, each of us moving to corner of the room. Cloud found the ether, Tifa found the tent, I considered climbing the vines for the materia I knew was up there then realized I didn't have to. Focusing my mind, I felt the area up there, found the materia, and rolled it to the edge, catching it as it fell.

"Hey, what type of materia is this?" I asked Kunsel, handing him the materia.

"Long Range," Kunsel stated after a quick inspection.

"Keep it," I told him when he attempted to hand it back to me.

We all returned to the main room, and I found I could still hear Jerk "wark"ing at the mouth of the cave. Cloud wore a grin when he heard the noise also. Several minutes later we were rejoined by the rest of our party.

"We found a materia, a tent, and an ether! What did you guys find?" Cloud piped.

"Man! I went the wrong way! We only found a mind source." Zack tossed the bottle of source to me. "Let's get moving again, I want to see if we can find any other items!"

"Anyone want this? Anyone?" I asked the group as we started our trek to the back cavern. When no one answered, I opened the source bottle and drank the contents. It tasted absolutely horrible, almost like I had swallowed chemicals, and I probably had. "Yuck! What are these made from?" I declared as I tossed the empty bottle away and grabbed my canteen for a drink.

"Mako infused medications that focus on a particular aspect of an individual's abilities," Kunsel replied.

Soon we trekked into the cavern that I recognized as the one where we met the Turks, and lo and behold, there was Rude.

"Just a second!" The bald Turk ordered.

Glancing up, I saw Elena was already on her perch, looking down at us.

"I had hoped to never see you again," Red stated, teeth bared.

"Who is he?" Tifa asked.

"Rude of the Turks," Zack told her.

"It's difficult to describe what the Turks do," Rude began.

"Kidnapping, right?" Cloud snapped as he moved to shield me from view while Aeris was pushed behind Barret.

"Let's not forget assassination, terrorizing, enabling horrific experiments, and covering up Shinra's dirty secrets!" I snarled, pushing Cloud out from in front of me.

"To put it negatively, you could say that. But that's not all there is to it anymore." Rude seemed ready to continue, but before he could, another voice called out.

"Sir!" Everyone else now seemed to notice Elena.

"It's alright Rude, I know how you don't like speeches, so don't force it."

"Then explain Elena." Rude seemed relieved to have her talking instead of him.

"I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena. Thanks to what you did to Reno we are short on people."

"Not short enough…" I grumbled to our group, Barret gave a muffled snicker.

"Although because of that I got promoted to the Turks." She mumbled.

"Congrats on becoming one of the glorified janitors of Shinra!" I yelled at her.

"In any case." She looked a bit irritated. "Our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed, and stop you at every turn of the way... wait a minute it is the other way around..." Everyone sweatdropped.

"Well, we now know who to turn to if we want to know what Shinra is up to." Kunsel was now being glared at by Elena.

"Elena, you talk too much." Tseng had just appeared in the mouth of the cave. "No need to tell them about our orders."

"Sorry sir."

"I thought I gave you other orders, I expect you to file your report."

"Right sir! Rude and myself will follow Sephiroth, he was last seen heading to Junon Harbor!"

"Elena, you don't seem to understand..." He said with a sigh. Elena for her part reddened slightly as she realized what she had just let slip. Grinning, I decided then would be a good time to try a little mischief while giving a warning. Reaching out with my mind, I brushed against Elena's mind, found her thoughts on Tseng and pulled at them forward while lowering her inhibitions.

"Oh! Sorry Mr. Super-squeezable-ass." Elena's voice went from forced professionalism to pure flirt.

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then almost half of AVALANCHE erupted into laughter. Zack was laughing so hard that he was doubled over, Barret was hooting near the back, Tifa and Cloud wore grins, Kunsel was shaking from suppressed laughter, and I was laughing openly as well. The only ones not laughing were Aeris and Red, I assumed Red just didn't understand, but Aeris was staring at me.

My mirth died pretty fast when I remembered that she could sense it when I called on the Lifestream. It officially was buried six feet when I realized that Tseng had noticed Aeris's gaze on me and was now staring at me as well, gauging my reaction. Planting a shit-eating grin on my visage, I winked at Tseng.

"Rude, Elena, don't let him get away." Tseng ignored the few snickers that still sounded through the cavern.

"Sir!" Both of the aforementioned Turks called, a red-faced Elena disappearing down the vines by her perch, Rude climbing up on the vines behind him. Pausing by the exit, Rude turned back to us.

"Reno said he wanted to see you after his injuries are healed. He wants to show his affection... with a new weapon."

"You can tell him the same thing I told Tseng, I demand dinner before going along with that sort of kink!" I glanced around hoping someone else would say something.

"He's pretty feminine looking, but I already got a girlfriend!" Zack called, drawing grins from most of AVALANCHE, Aeris included this time.

"Ain't into men!" Barret announced.

Rude looked mildly confused for a moment, and then did his equivalent of a facepalm by readjusting his glasses before departing.

Tseng shook off the oddness of the situation quickly enough then turned his attention on Aeris. "Long time no see."

"Strange, hearing that from you," Aeris's soft voice was laced with a light amount of malice, completely unlike her.

"I'm happy to inform you that the president has called off the search for you. Both of you." The Wutaian's eyes shifted towards me for a moment before returning to her.

"Another ploy?" Cloud demanded, once more trying to situate himself before me.

"No, he honestly called it off; you are a free person Aeris."

"So long as we arouse no further interest," I spat. Tseng's black eyes turned toward me now.

"I find myself inclined to believe that the spy was correct about you. It's too bad about your allegiances though, Shinra no longer has any fixed wing pilots and we were hoping you would be willing to rectify the situation."

"After what Aeris and I have been put through, you should be happy I don't pull a stunt on your damn building with an aircraft packed full of explosives!"

Tseng was not fazed by my comment, merely nodded his head towards us in and departed.

"Let's get moving ourselves," Zack stated and our group fanned out, checking for possible exits before finally settling on the vines that Rude had climbed initially to get to the exit that Tseng had used. We didn't encounter any of the Turks and outside of the cave there was no sign of them, not even a helicopter in the distance.

"So, we need to head for Junon." Cloud pulled out a compass and a map after we exited the cave and pointed in the direction I recognized as almost due west. "We should get there if we head in that direction."

"We have a few more hours that we can travel today; we better get a move on." Tifa was the one to make the call this time, she was still grinning I noted.

"Can you guys believe the Turks are desperate enough to hire someone like that?" Kunsel was once again grinning as we departed the mountains. To the south I saw that the land gave way to the wastelands that surrounded Fort Condor.

"They were desperate enough for Reno, and that guy is far enough from professional to make her seem not half bad." Zack was grinning, his arm around Aeris's shoulder.

"Reno can still thoroughly trounce most of us in a fight," I pointed out. "It kind of doesn't matter that he looks like he just rolled out of bed."

That night we set up camp near a wooded area. Almost everyone seemed pleased to finally set their packs down. Once again I found myself set on water duty with Aeris. As we walked to a nearby creek, she kept sneaking glances at me and I could sense that she had a question.

"Aeris, just ask." I finally broke the silence when we got to the creek.

She blushed and looked away for a moment then turned and met my eyes. "How did you do that to that female Turk?"

"Get her to admit her feelings? Simple, I have a little talent in that area." I grinned at Aeris.

Aeris in turn smiled back at me, then frowned slightly. "What you did was a bit mean though. And reckless."

"And a warning," I told her as I dipped more water into the purifier.

"A warning?"

"Yeah, at this point they don't know what you and I are capable of, with this little display today I'm hoping to make them nervous about approaching either of us."

"Why is that?"

"Because, the two best weapons we have are anonymity and a good warning sign. Since neither of us are anonymous anymore, then our best defense is in making them think we are capable in a way they aren't. And if the Turks are uncertain about us, only the stupidest of Shinra's army would dare to approach us."

_**With Shinra**_

The flight to Junon had been an awkward one with Elena blushing and refusing to look up from the floor, Rude was abnormally silent, and Tseng found himself mulling over what had happened in that cave.

"Elena, can you tell me exactly how you felt when you said what you said?"

"Uninhibited, almost drunken," the blond woman whispered, embarrassment clear in her voice. "Like I had to say it."

As the helicopter landed, Tseng dismissed the duo, intent to make his immediate report to Rufus. He wasn't sure how to word the incident though; the woman hadn't said or done anything aside from basic body language that indicated knowledge of what had happened. And he might not have seen that if it weren't for Miss. Gainsborough staring at her so intensely afterwards. This was no confirmation, but it was close enough for him.

Entering the building that the Junon Presidential Penthouse was located in, Tseng made his way quickly to the elevator, ignoring the pleasantries being offered to him by the various troopers, aids, and secretaries that loitered around.

Exiting on the top floor, Tseng found Rufus was standing in front of the bay window with a glass of wine in hand. He caught sight of the satisfied smile on the man's face the moment before it disappeared in place of the man's mask.

"Tseng, you have something to report?" Rufus didn't bother to turn away from the sight of the sunset he was witnessing.

"We encountered AVALANCHE in the Mithril Mines, all eight members."

"Any trouble?"

"Not in the truest meaning of the words, we didn't get into any fights if that is what you mean."

"Something troubles you."

Tseng knew Rufus had picked up on his subtle hinting. "The blond Ancient, I believe after something we witnessed in the cave that the rumor concerning her is true."

"The one that she can control people?" At Tseng's nod, Rufus sighed, swirled his wine slightly, but didn't look away from the window. "Seems as though you'll have to be careful with that one. In other news, Hojo has declared his retirement. He has already cleaned out his office and departed Midgar."

"Should we bring him back?" Tseng asked.

"Not now, I did manage to gain access to his files before he left though. It seems as though Fair and the former MP in AVALANCHE were used by him for experiments, the MP gaining the abilities of a SOLDIER." Rufus let a cold smile cross his face as he turned to finally face Tseng. "They aren't a threat, and I doubt that will change."

Tseng nodded and when Rufus turned away from him, he departed the penthouse.


	16. Chapter 16

Saria: WHY?

SA: You were on the roof…

Zas: Screaming that you were the sky beast.

Saria: So you tie me to a chair?

Tori: Could be worse.

zzzzzzzzzz

Before turning in that night, I had insisted on taking a bath. It was kind of unsurprising when Tifa and Aeris joined me in the creek, each of us still armed in some capacity in case someone got a "smart" idea.

Let me say this about the game: you don't realize of dirty your characters should be getting. I was caked in mud, leaves, and dirt, my clothes were probably beyond salvaging as anything except vagabond clothing and I was going to need some new shoes very soon, but I was also having a great time. After finishing our makeshift bath, the three of us made for the shore immediately and changed into the fresh clothing we had brought with us.

"Do you always wear T-shirts and jeans?" Aeris asked me when she saw my choice in clothing.

"No, I also wear khakis, board shorts, button up shirts, and on occasion, formal clothing. You can't wear skirts in an airplane, nor heels or boots for that matter." Glancing over I saw that Aeris had changed into a skirt and blouse set that was similar to what she wore in Crisis Core except in pink. Tifa had changed into a pair of blue shorts and a white shirt. Well, we can't all wear the same clothes all the time.

Dinner had already been eaten, so when we arrived back at camp, the three of us simply sat by the fire and chatted as we dried off. Our conversations covered a variety of topics; gardening, bartending, martial arts, and flying being the main ones. Red and Kunsel both listened and eventually joined the conversations themselves, Red being a surprising font of knowledge for gardening, Kunsel being excellent at martial arts. Eventually we all turned in.

Cloud woke me in the early morning for my shift as the watchman. The fire was going strong and we had plenty of firewood, so there was nothing for me to do aside from sit and keep watch. After a minute of contemplation over possible ways to entertain myself, I realized that I had been neglecting my Jedi skills such as meditation and levitation. I wasn't used to the skills though, so making use of them took a bit of extra thought.

Adjusting myself so I sat cross-legged before the fire, I let go of myself and felt the Lifestream sweep over me, awareness of my surroundings jumping. In the camp I felt my companions, some of them such as Barret still deeply asleep, some such as Red were stirring already. Pushing out even farther, in the wooded area I sensed another person. She was asleep currently, but she had definitely been watching our camp. Turning my attention away from Yuffie, I just let myself float with the Lifestream for a while, wandering over Fort Condor where there were sentries trying to defend the Phoenix and her egg.

A stirring in the area near my body brought me back to myself very quickly, and turning I found Red had once again risen an hour early had exited his tent, he was now settling next to me.

"There's someone in that wooded area, I can smell it." Red didn't look at the trees, but his tail flicked slightly in that direction.

"I don't think she'll be too much trouble to us," I responded.

"You know that this person is a she?"

"The planet." I didn't bother to elaborate, Red already knew some things about Cetra, and that Cetra could hear and speak to the planet was seemed to be common knowledge.

Glancing at the sky, I saw that the stars were just beginning to fade, but there was still a spectacular view. Red followed my gaze, looking up at the stars as well. Silence prevailed until everyone else stirred and rose.

As we packed up, I sensed that Yuffie had begun to stir amongst the trees; she didn't actually wake though until after we had already begun moving.

Trooping through the fields towards Junon, it was hard not to appreciate how fast the game made travel. It didn't take even three minutes, battles mostly included, to reach Junon after exiting the cave. Now battles lasted three minutes easily. Gathering the gil and items from the monsters took just as long.

After two hours of travel I was beginning to wonder why Yuffie was taking so long to attack. Reaching out and brushing her mind, I saw that she was uncertain about whether or not to attack. She knew we had materia and that several of us looked pretty weak, and if worse came to worse, that she could get away. Seeing no reason to rush her decision, I withdrew from her mind.

Half an hour later, after our third fight of the day, she finally seemed to see her opportunity to strike.

A shuriken whizzed just above everyone's heads, causing half of us to duck automatically. "Halt! You are in the presence of the Warrior Princess! Hand over all of your materia and you will be spared!" Yuffie appeared on a tree branch just above and ahead of us, catching her shuriken deftly, her eyes roving over the group before freezing on Zack.

Zack and the Wutaian stared at each other for several seconds before both shouted "YOU!" Yuffie fell from her perch then, sprawling on the ground while Zack stared at the girl.

"You know her?"

"Remember that spammer a few years ago who kept claiming there were odd treasures in different locations? Meet the spammer," Zack informed Kunsel.

"You! My former subordinate! I fired you for never getting me any treasure!"

"Is she always like this?" Barret stared at the girl.

"She was even worse at 11."

"What are you all mumbling about?" Yuffie yelled as she jumped to her feet. She made to rush at Zack, but Cloud intercepted her with his sword, forcing her to change directions in order to avoid the blade.

As Barret brought his gun to bear on the ninja, Zack stepped forward. "Listen, we don't want to fight you."

Yuffie didn't seem to understand; instead she stood with a grin on her face, facing Zack. "Oh, so you're scared of me!" Running around Zack, she threw several punches at him, then at Cloud, neither of them flinching at her "assault".

"Petrified." Cloud was the one who spoke this time.

Yuffie's grin grew even bigger. "Hmm, just as I thought. What do you expect with my skills?" I swear, if anyone in the party didn't have a sweatdrop, I'd be very surprised. "Good luck to you all, you'll need it with him. If you feel up to it, we can have another round, later." She half-glared at Zack as she turned to walk away, paused, walked, paused. "I'm really gunna leave, REALLY!"

Cloud and Zack exchanged looks then glanced over the group. Kunsel, Aeris, Red, and I all nodded, Tifa did nothing, Barret looked confused.

"Wait," Zack called after her. Yuffie's grin when she turned back to us was diabolical.

"What is it; you still have something for me? …Hm. So, is that it?"

Must… not… roll… my eyes.

"I know you want my help because I'm so good." Yuffie puffed her chest, affecting what I believe she thinks is a heroic/strong pose. "You want me to go with you?"

"… That's right." Zack sounded like he wanted to bite his own tongue, and I don't blame him. Yuffie sounded like a hyperactive kid with a superiority complex, and I knew that the worst was yet to come.

"Heh heh, thought so. You put me in a spot. Hmm, what should I do?" She actually looked like she might be thinking on the subject. "But if you want me that bad, I can't refuse… Alright, I'll go with you!" She looked at us as though expecting everyone to cheer.

"Let's get going," Cloud announced, I could tell he was thoroughly annoyed.

"Huh? Hey… HEY! Wait! I haven't even told you my name! I'm Yuffie, good to meetcha!" The hyperactive ninja yelled as she ran after us. I noticed she paused a moment, seemed mutter something before turning back to the group. "Hey, wait up! Wait for me!"

"Everyone, keep an eye on your materia," Zack muttered before the ninja caught up. "She has sticky fingers like you wouldn't believe."

Glancing down at my bangle, noting I needed to upgrade my equipment, and my tantō, I accounted for all my materia. Currently I had my ice, lightning, restore, and the Choco/Mog materia equipped. With the upcoming boss fights I really wanted a fire.

"Anyone have an extra bangle or armlet that's better than a Titan Bangle?"

"I got an extra Mithril armlet in Kalm." Cloud tossed me the armlet which I saw would finally allow me to slot materia in conjunction.

"Thanks Cloud." I quickly transferred my materia then clasped the new armor on. My Titan bangle went back into my pack to be sold later.

"So, who are you guys anyway? What are your names?"

"I'm Zack." He didn't even look back at Yuffie.

"Barret."

"I'm Aeris," the brown haired girl introduced herself with a smile.

"Kunsel."

"Red."

"I'm Rachas and Mr. Social here is Cloud," I announced when I realized that Cloud had no intent of saying his name.

"So, my former subordinate, his girlfriend," Yuffie looked meaningfully at the way Zack had his arm across Aeris's shoulder, "A... dog? A guy with a metal arm, a brother and sister, and a…" As she stared at Kunsel, I sputtered as I realized who she meant when she said "brother and sister". Beside me, Cloud stared at her in mixed horror and confusion.

Ahead of us, Zack and Barret laughed loudly while Cloud and I turned in unison to Yuffie and said, "We're not related!"

"Are you certain?" Yuffie stared at us, looking like she didn't quite believe us.

"We look nothing alike! He's two inches taller/She's shorter, has spiky hair/has a strange sense of humor, smaller feet/is a pilot, and…" I looked at Cloud again, trying to find something else to disprove any relation just to realize that Cloud and I had shouted at the same time and were now looking at one another, trying to point out another difference.

"Wow, do they do anything else?" Yuffie looked more excited than ever.

Barret gave a gruff laugh and said, "They both attract chocobos."

"Barret is a teddy bear to little girls," I informed Yuffie in retaliation to his comment.

"So, who are you people anyway?"

"We're AVALANCHE." Tifa announced.

"Will we get a lot of materia?"

"You bet, if we're going to catch Sephiroth and take down Shinra, we'll definitely be getting a collection of them."

"Taking down Shinra? You guys are fighting Shinra? Awesome!"

Yuffie went on for several minutes after that and eventually started to resort to making rounds around the group, trying to talk to everyone. Kunsel was her first target, followed by Barret, then Tifa, and four hours after we started walking again she got to Cloud and me.

"So, the two "not siblings", why did you two join?"

"I was a pilot…" I regretted my words as Yuffie jumped at me.

"Pilot? You mean in the air? Cool! I personally can't stand too much of that, it's not natural. Then again, a beauty like me shouldn't have to travel like that."

"There's nothing unnatural about flying! It's simple physics to explain."

"Ugh, that stuff is boring. And I don't like boring stuff, the science geeks should look after that."

"The art of flight is not boring," I growled.

"Point is, babes like me don't need to know that stuff."

The power informed me then that she was going to try to pull something. Seeing her hand move, I knocked her hand away from my tantō, offering her a slight glare for her attempt.

"So, you use those little things? Don't seem like much of a fighter, not like me! I'm the number one ninja of Wutai!" Yuffie was now walking in front of me, backwards so she could look me in the eye. Behind her, Zack had also turned around and was pantomiming her movements for the rest of the group to see. "The Single White Rose of Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi!"

"Cloud Strife and Rachas Kaze." I pointed first at Cloud then myself. "We are not related."

"Kaze? Really? Strange, you don't look Wutaian in the least, about as much a gaijin as I've ever seen." Crud, it looks like Japanese is Wutaian here, or at least partially translatable.

"Is Kaze a Wutaian word?" Cloud finally spoke up for the first time since Yuffie came over.

"Yep! It means 'wind'." I could just see my constructed name being smashed to pieces.

"That's actually pretty appropriate for a pilot," Zack declared from behind Yuffie, surprising her enough that she jumped. This is going a bit better than I thought it would.

Several hours later, around mid-afternoon, Junon had finally to come into sight. Everyone was relieved at the notion of Yuffie finally bothering people other than us.

_**With Shinra**_

Tseng and his Turks had taken up residence at the local bar near Rufus's penthouse. Currently Elena seemed to be trying for the Turk record of most alcohol consumed, even outstripping Reno at this point.

Rude was quieter than normal and nursed straight glasses of whiskey which was stronger than he normally drank.

Reno was the only one acting relatively normal, though he had to use his right arm instead of his left currently. Whatever AVALANCHE had done to his arm, it was healing slowly.

"So, according to the reports that I've seen thus far, Sephiroth is supposed to be headed here, yo. And the Pres's appointment parade is tomorrow, you'd think we would be on high alert."

"The infantry can take care of things this time, Reno." Tseng set his own glass back on the table, causing a firm 'tink' noise to sound. Reno's suspicions were further raised when Tseng continued. "Let Heidigger figure out how to deal with this."

"Heidigger is an idiot who couldn't find his ass with both hands, yo!" Elena suddenly burst out laughing at his comment, and it wasn't humored laughter either. Sparing his co-worker a glance, Reno continued. "Anyone would be able to get around his idea of security."

"Ass! Butt! Squeezable ass butt!" Elena was still giggling.

Reno's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Is she broken, yo?"

"No, she just needs time to calm down after a recent incident. Another reason we are not getting involved right now."

"Hey newbie, what happened, yo?"

Elena stared at Reno for a moment, her glazed eyes not showing any comprehension, then she started to giggle again. She muttered most of what she said, but Reno caught the words, "Cave… squeezable butt… AVALANCHE."

"AVALANCHE? You guys saw those guys in the caves? What happened yo? Did you deliver my message?"

"One of the members of AVALANCHE played a prank on Elena. It was quite traumatizing." Tseng signaled the bartender for another glass, if Reno found out about what happened, it would not be from him.

Reno blinked, once again confused. "A prank? What sort of prank?" Glancing between Rude, Elena, and Tseng, he saw no one was about to speak up. "Oh come on, what kind of prank involves caves and squeezable butts? Were there any other props? Rude, you gotta tell me, yo!" Reno was certain he knew just about every prank in the book, but he was drawing a blank on what could have happened, especially if Tseng defined it as a prank.

Rude merely raised his glass and downed the liquor it contained, not meeting Reno's gaze.

"Fine! I'll read the report; did you at least tell those guys what I told you to tell them if you saw them?"

Once again, the bald Turk showed no indication of answering Reno, and seeing how Tseng probably wouldn't say anyway…

"Hey, newbie, did Rude give AVALANCHE my message?"

Elena blinked owlishly at Reno, once again showing no indication that she understood for a moment then hiccupped and nodded. "He-e told dem!" she slurred. "Dey told hem to tell you that dey aren't into men, already has girls, and same ting dey told Tseng! Tseng butt…" Elena grabbed Tseng's new glass at then and downed the contents in one gulp.

Right when Reno thought he couldn't have become more confused, more had just been dumped on him to process. If he'd heard correctly, AVALANCHE had said they either weren't into men, already had girls, or to tell him the same thing they'd told Tseng.

"What did they tell you?" Reno asked Tseng directly, fully intending to use the EMR to get answers if need be this time.

"When we caught the blond Ancient and handcuffed her, she said that she demands dinner before going along with those kinds of kinks." Tseng was still the picture of calm and control as he signaled for yet another glass.

"I'll keep that in mind, wait a minute, Rude, what did you tell them?"

Rude shook his head, eyes staring out at Tseng and Elena through his glasses, begging for help. Tseng showed no indication of talking, but Elena was far too gone.

"Show affection with new weapon," she giggled as she stared at Rude.

Reno's gaze roved over all three of his co-workers, the way Rude stiffened, Tseng showed no visible reaction, and Elena continued to giggle. "How elaborate was that prank?"

_**Normal**_

Are there any items you can use to cause silence? If there are, I want some. Yuffie talked non-stop the entire way to Junon, I don't think she ever stopped to even take a breath! Even now, as we walk into the lower town of Junon, she continues to suffer from oral diarrhea.

"Man, this place is really run down, I mean look at this place! Even the people look like they're run dow-muh!"

"Cloud, quick! Get some duc-ick!" I tore my hand away from Yuffie's mouth after she had given my hand a wet lick.

Yuffie bounced back with a grin on her face, sticking her tongue out at us before moving along down the street of the town. I glanced down at my armlet and tantō again, doing a quick count of my materia before dipping back into my pack, counting those I had there. Nothing was missing, yet.

I sighed as my eyes roved over the town, and much as I loathed admitting it, Yuffie was right. The houses, streets, and fences of this town were all in shades of grey and brown. The cleaner places looked washed out, the less savory ones looked like they were just painted with dirt and soot. Along the street, you could just tell which people belonged to which house based upon their clothes, all of them shared one thing in common though: they all looked worn down.

Grabbing a piece of my candy, I glanced around, seeing the rest of our group also had spread out along the street. The town was bigger than the game indicated, having several full streets but we stayed mainly to the main street. The only things that were being sold were Mithril armlets and several small knick knacks.

"It's really sad," I murmured to Kunsel as we finished our round of the street. "Sure the slums were bad, but in some ways this seems worse."

"Because this place was once prosperous and people remember how it was. The slums of Midgar have been built upon for so many years that most people down there have been there most of their life." Kunsel's brown eyes glanced towards the beach, the only place we hadn't searched yet. "No one in the town seems to know about Sephiroth, so we need to check the town above."

"So you're hoping to find a means of getting there on the beach?" I followed Kunsel toward the stairs down to the shore. "Shinra will most likely have a defense system in place for all supports they have down there."

"How else do you think we'll all get to the upper city? Do you think you can make the elevator guard let us use the elevator?"

"Maybe I can," I returned with a grin as Red and Aeris joined us on the stairs down to the beach.

The beach was probably beautiful once, but now it was shaded, dirty, and there was trash everywhere. You could tell a number of residents had tried to keep it clean, but the refuse from the upper city was too much.

"Hey Mr. Dolphin!" A small voice called out near the water where we saw a young girl who looked about 8. In the water a dolphin approached the shore towards the girl.

"Been a while since I saw a dolphin," Kunsel murmured. Beside him Aeris stared at the dolphin, awe obvious in her expression. Red on the other hand just looked a bit hungry.

"Hey, good to see we all had the same idea!" Zack came bounding down the stairs, Yuffie on his heels. They in turn were followed by Barret, Tifa, and Cloud.

"Who are you guys? Are you members of Shinra?" Turning I saw that the child had finally noticed us, her focus being on Kunsel's purple SOLDIER 2nd uniform, and Cloud and Zack's black SOLDIER 1st uniforms.

"No you got it all wrong, we're fighting against Shinra." Barret's comment fell on deaf ears though.

"I don't believe you! Get out of here!"

Glancing back into the direction of the sea, I saw the mounting waves just off the shore. "Guys, the water!" I yelled as I rushed down to the beach and attempted to drag to girl from the water.

The kid had no intent of allowing someone she accused of being from Shinra drag her away though, and as her dolphin attempted to swim past the sea monster, she ripped herself out of my arms and ran back towards the water. "Be careful Mr. Dolphin!" she cried just as an enormous wave swept over the area, sweeping the little girl under the water and knocking her head against a rock.

"Hold on, we're coming!" Cloud shouted as he ran to the bank, bringing his sword to bear. Before he could make a strike at the beast though, it rose into the air, out of his reach. "It's out of reach!"

"I can hit it!" Barret announced as he brought his gun to bear, firing at the monster. His first few bullets went a bit wide as he tried to gain his footing, but the rest sank into the flesh of the underbelly of the beast. It roared loudly though it didn't seem to be all that effected by Barret's assault.

"Use magic, lightning if you have it!" I shouted at everyone else.

"Gotcha!" I'm pretty certain Yuffie ignored me because she used Barret's shoulder as a launching pad to leap up almost level to the beast before hurling her shuriken. The beast performed a minor acrobatic maneuver to avoid the shuriken.

Focusing quickly, I shot a lightning spell at the beast along with Aeris and Cloud. I was surprised when all three spells seemed to hit.

Twisting in air, the beast turned its attention on our group and seemed to cast something.

Looking around, I saw that Red had been caught in the water prison spell of this monster. Kunsel was already attempting to cut at the water with little success. "Use a spell!" I shouted at Kunsel. Kunsel's response was to hold up his arms… damn, he didn't have a materia for this. Grabbing my ice from its slot, I tossed it to him.

"Thanks!" Kunsel called as he equipped the materia and cast a spell on the water, finally freeing Red from the shell.

Turning back, I saw that Cloud had once again cast lightning; Zack had tried to use Barret as a spring board, the former SOLDIER apparently thinking he could perform the same maneuver as Yuffie. He managed to make a swipe at the monster before falling into the water.

Aeris was immediately beside Barret, casting a cure spell even as Barret seemed to power up but held his shot until Zack was clear.

Tifa had gotten an ice at some point and fired that as soon as Barret's blow had landed.

The water monster began to beat its tail against the surface of the water, churning it, creating a huge wave. I didn't bother trying to stay standing; I hit the ground instantly and grabbed a rock to act as my brace. The water rushed over me moments later, the pressure so intense for those few seconds that I felt an ache in my ears. It was over within seconds though, and now dripping wet, I forced myself back to my feet. All around me, everyone else had either dropped like I had, planted themselves using their weapon, or been washed back to the rocks. The good news was that the little girl had been swept out of the water also; she now lay near the rocks.

"Zack!" Aeris called as she raced to the child, tossing him her lightning materia. She began casting cures the moment she was by the child.

Hearing a howl behind me, I turned back to find that Red had just cast poison and Cloud looked to be winding up for a limit break. The water monster twisted in midair, slapping its tail down at the closest combatants, but Tifa and Kunsel both managed to dodge. Right before Cloud attacked I saw the monster do the spell casting twist it did, but no one seemed to be caught in the water bubble and everyone was ahead of me except…

I didn't think as I turned and saw that Aeris was indeed stuck in that damned water bubble. I wasted no time and charged straight back to her, firing a lightning to break the bubble.

"Rachas, she's not breathing!" Aeris gasped as soon as she could force out the words.

"Don't you know CPR?" I know that in the game she didn't, but I always thought that that would be a common skill in real life. Apparently not here because Aeris shook her head in the negative. Glancing back at the battle, everyone looked like they would be ok for a few moments longer.

Crouching down next to the girl, I tilted her head back to open the airway then covered her nose and mouth with mine and gently blew until her chest rose. Folding my hands two fingers up from the bottom of her ribs, I did ten quick compressions before moving back to her mouth and blowing more air into her lungs. This time as I did the compressions, the kid gave a jerk, and started to cough, choking up a bit of water.

"Alright, let's get he…" I stopped at the sound of water splashing, being churned by a massive tail. As the girl began to sit up, I turned, dreading what I was about to see. Sure enough, that damned monster had chosen right then to churn up another one of its huge waves. And the three of us were right next to the rocks! We'd have our heads crushed for certain!

As the wave mounted, I glanced back. Aeris was off-balance, we wouldn't be able to move fast enough to get away from the rocks and carry the kid to safety also. The wave had reached the shore and was rushing towards us now and my heart felt like it was going to escape my ribcage. Behind me, Aeris gasped as she finally saw the wave and the girl gave a cry.

Those noises were the last I heard before the world again slowed down around me, the wave was now only creeping at us, and our friends had already disappeared behind it! I couldn't abandon Aeris and the child though, and I guided my thoughts to what I wanted and let the power that surrounded me flow.

My hands shot up when the water was mere feet away and the huge wave began to part, flowing around and above Aeris, the child, and me. The strain was huge, like I was holding a cement wall, but I managed to hold it back. Behind me, the girl screamed while Aeris gasped. I could only imagine what this must be like for them.

Finally, the wave was gone, water retreated from behind and all around us, but none of us had been touched by the wave. And thankfully, the monster was finally gone.

Before us, Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel pulled up their swords that they had used to brace themselves. Red had clamped on to Zack's boot and Yuffie had his arm. Kunsel had Tifa in hand, and Cloud had helped Barret.

"Aeris!" Zack shouted as he turned to us, and I was still in my ridiculous wall pushing stance.

"Rachas, you ok?" Cloud asked as he raced over on Zack's heels.

"I'm fine," I murmured, feeling quite drained at that point.

"How'd you do that?" The child's voice exclaimed behind me right as a tiny hand grabbed my pants leg.

"Limit Break." I grinned at the kid. "No doing anything remotely like that ever again, you hear me?" I was pleased that she nodded right before coughing a bit.

"Priscilla!" An old man shouted as he descended the stairs. "Priscilla, are you ok?"

"She's alright, but she will need some rest," Aeris instructed the man as he rushed over and scooped up 'Priscilla'.

"Thank you," the old man responded before turning and running back up the stairs to the village.

"Well, no reason to stick around here," Zack announced as he reached over and tried to tuck my arm over his shoulder.

"I think you're a bit too tall to do this," Tifa called as she took my arm from Zack and tucked it over her shoulder. "What exactly happened anyway? We were sure you guys would be crushed by that wave!"

"I had a last moment Limit Break and was able to deflect most of the wave with it," I responded. "Aeris was the one who saved the kid."

"You got her breathing again," Aeris pointed out as we began to climb the stairs back to the village.

"You're learning CPR at the first opportunity I get to teach you," I informed her.

"Excuse me," another voice called out, causing everyone to glance over at the old woman who was approaching the group. "Are you the people who helped Priscilla?"

"Yeah, is she ok?" Good, Cloud was starting to speak up more.

"Please follow me." We were led to a decent sized house, one of the cleaner ones in the village, and followed the woman inside. "I heard what happened, you've done much for Priscilla. You all must be very tired, if you want to get some rest, stay here. Please make yourselves at home." She departed after that, closing the door softly behind her.


	17. Chapter 17

Saria: YES! GOING BACK TO WORK!

Tori: Oh boy… (watches Saria skip around)

Zas: Well, I think we all know what that means. Updates aren't going to be coming out as often as they were.

SA: I don't think anyone really cares.

Tori: Is it normal for someone to be so happy about working?

Now, for those readers that actually read this part: Rachas is as close to a self-insert as I can manage. For things such as freezing the pillar, I literally thought of that right as I was writing the scene. Rachas is an actual nickname that I've gone by. I have a friend read through these chapters before I post them to insure I stay true about myself, or as true as I could be as a Jedi.

zzzzzzzzzzz

The house that we were allowed to stay in was a very cozy one, and once again, unlike the game indicated, the house was bigger than it had been in the game. There were two full bathrooms, three bedrooms, plus the living room. Even with all that extra space, nine people was a very noticeable crowd, though it seemed that the only ones who felt crowed were Yuffie and me.

One bathroom was designated as the girl's, the other was the boy's, and everyone began taking turns freshening up. I got the shower after Tifa and Yuffie, naturally all the hot water was gone. My clothes got thrown into the sink to soak while I showered, then I gave them a good washing, or as good of one as I could in a sink. Changing into my last set of clean clothes and stepping out of the bathroom, I saw that everyone except Cloud and Zack had changed clothes after their showers, which Aeris was now stepping into.

"There's a clothesline outside," Kunsel told me, nodding out of the window where I saw a number of the others had already hung their clothes to dry.

"Thanks." I walked outside and quickly pinned my "clean" clothes to the line, feeling very embarrassed about it despite the fact the rest of the town did the same. I had never really done laundry without a dryer or washing machine. I grabbed Kunsel's uniform as I passed it and walked back into the house.

"Zack, Cloud, Kunsel, I think it's high time you guys ditch the SOLDIER uniform." All three men stared at me after my announcement, not looking like they understood. "This uniform indicates loyalty and uniformity within Shinra, which I think you all can agree does not represent your feelings towards Shinra."

Zack loudly groaned while Cloud and Kunsel nodded.

"I worked so hard to get this uniform!" Zack was hugging his filthy uniform, which he still wore.

"You don't have to make big changes!" I argued. "Just do something like… lose the shoulder armor and suspenders." I actually wanted to burn the damn thing and make him start over with new clothes.

"I know where she's coming from," Kunsel stated. "Our uniforms make us stand out, and we do look like we're associated with Shinra."

"I'm ok with getting some new clothes," Cloud volunteered. "But I think we'll have to wait to do so. There weren't any clothing stores down here."

"Fine!" Zack didn't seem pleased, but he wasn't objecting.

I handed Kunsel his uniform then, him currently dressed in a spare. "We don't want an odd patrol spotting this."

"So, how are we going to divvy up the rooms? There are three of them and nine of us." Tifa, who was sitting at a table in an area that seemed to be for the kitchen, asked. "One room has three twins; the other two one full-sized bed each."

"I'll sleep out here." Red's tone offered no room for argument.

"I'll take the couch," I exclaimed, dumping my pack at the foot of said furniture.

"The men can share the two rooms with the full beds; you girls can have the room with the three twins." Cloud's suggestion was mostly well received, though the men did start arguing immediately after over who was sharing with who.

The next morning I woke with a headache and it was little wonder when I looked back over the day previous. Dinner had been completely skipped the night before, and I was dying for a soda. A nice Jones Green Apple or Crushed Melon soda would have been ideal. And chocolate. I really wanted some chocolate.

Sitting up, the kitchen table came into view, as did Kunsel and Tifa who were seated at it. They were discussing different ideas on how to get to the city above.

"What if we tried climbing the city walls from the outside?" Tifa suggested.

"We'd be easily spotted, there would be no cover."

"Yeah, but you have to admit, most of those guys would never see it coming."

"Or we could just bribe the elevator guard," I stated as I stood and carefully stepped over Red so as to not awaken him. "If he has as dull of an assignment as guarding an elevator, then they can't trust him all that much."

"I think that with the Turks knowing we'd be headed this way, they'd have the normal guy switched out," Kunsel stated.

"A small out of the way assignment like this would be easily overlooked," I countered as I joined them at the table. There was no way I was going to let a dolphin flip me onto a beam of an electrified tower and then have to climb up said tower. Maybe if it wasn't electrified…

"No offense Kunsel, but Shinra security seems like a bit of a joke." Tifa picked up her pack and started to poke through the contents then pulled out a pouch of dried fruit which she opened and set on the center of the table. Each of us grabbed a small handful before continuing the conversation, and I hate to admit I noticed a faint tremor in my hands.

"We could try asking around town again. The people might be more welcoming to us now."

"I don't want to get anyone here in trouble for aiding and abetting a terrorist group," I stated plainly.

"Don't think that'll be a problem." Barret had appeared in the doorway. "People here don't like Shinra, they won't tell 'em we was here."

"Alright then, let's get a move on then." Kunsel stood from the table rather suddenly. "The sooner we get some clues, the sooner we can get moving."

"Alright!" Yuffie exclaimed as she bounced into the room, a pouch of dried fruit in her hand. "Let's get going!"

Red sat up at Yuffie's yells and stared at her form in mild irritation as she ran through the door. "Do you think she even knows what we are looking for?"

"She'll catch on," I assured Red as I reached into my own pack and pulled out some jerky for him. My hands no longer had the tremor, but they were still a bit on the weak side.

"Best we all get going though, ask around, see if anyone knows a way to the upper levels. Oh, and Rachas, eat the rest of this." Kunsel tossed me the rest of the bag of fruit.

"I'm leaving a note so everyone else will know where we've gone." Tifa stood and collected a sheet of paper and a pen from a drawer of a small table. I watched as she scribbled out a note then we all exited the house. The first thing I noticed upon getting outside was the clothesline. The EMPTY clothesline.

"Tifa, did you or Kunsel gather our clothes?"

"No, damnit…" A glare was shot over Tifa's shoulder at the clothesline. "Probably a good thing you took down Kunsel's SOLDIER uniform. We really don't want one of those floating around."

Kunsel was right; yesterday the townsfolk had shied away from our group. Today, word had apparently gotten out about us saving Priscilla, and people were more than willing to talk. None of them knew of a way to the upper city that didn't involve the elevator though.

Right when I was about to admit defeat and Jedi the elevator guard, the initial racket of a band warming up began to sound. Finally the Shinra parade theme began to sound. It was little more than just a trickle of sound down here, but the noise would be much more noticeable once we got up to the city.

Glancing down the street, I saw that everyone was starting to congregate at the staircase leading up to a stilted house. Rushing over to the house, I arrived at the same time that Cloud arrived, and then the little girl, Priscilla, exited the house and walked down to meet us at the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you alright now?" Cloud asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Umm… yeah." Priscilla walked over to where Aeris and I stood and actually hugged the both of us. "Thanks for helping; I'm sorry I mistook you for Shinra."

"It's alright sweetie," Aeris replied with a smile. I offered a smile myself to show that I had similar feelings.

"Here is something special, it's an amulet, so take care of it okay?" She pressed an orb on a chain into my palm, and without thinking I caught her arm, fished around in my pack for a moment, then pulled out one of the Star Pendants I had. No one had wanted it, so I hung it around Priscilla's neck.

"It's a trade," I told her with a smile. She fingered the pendant for a moment then offered a huge smile in return.

"What's that music?" Barret asked, tapping his foot a bit. I had to laugh at the sight, mainly because I could immediately tell Barret probably had little to no musical ability, he couldn't even find the beat to this music.

"It's giving me a headache," Yuffie complained.

Zack and Kunsel shared a glance. "This would be the parade music for when a high level official visits Junon formally," Kunsel informed us.

"Rufus? Hm… I gotta pay my respects." Barret almost lovingly stroked his gunarm when he stated that. I almost wish he could, but Rufus was going to be a necessary evil, for now and after the events of this game. Didn't mean I'd stand between him and a bullet though.

"Grandpa and grandma used to tell me how the beach was beautiful when they were small. But after Shinra built the city above, the sun stopped shining here and the water was polluted." Priscilla's story was a familiar one to those of us who had been in Midgar.

"You think Rufus is thinking about crossing the ocean from here too? Does that mean Sephiroth already crossed the ocean?" Aeris's question caused everyone to look up slightly.

"He's following Sephiroth, so quite likely," I pointed out. "Looks like me may need to either stowaway on a boat or get a plane big enough to fit all of us."

"Maybe we can climb the tower to get up there."

"No! No! There is a high voltage current underneath the tower. It's dangerous." Priscilla was insistent. "But... you might be able to if Mr. Dolphin helps you. Follow me!" She then ran down towards the beach.

"A high voltage current? I guess Cloud'll be alright." Tifa had a smile on her face, like she was half kidding.

"Yeah, better leave it to Cloud." Aeris was smiling as she bumped Zack forward also, giving him a meaningful look.

"I'll have your back!" Zack assured Cloud with a grin.

"We're counting on you both," Red told them as everyone began to disperse.

"Uh…" Cloud looked very uncertain, so I decided to give him some advice.

"This isn't going to be difficult Cloud, just a little climb. I think Priscilla will authentically help you with the climb, after that, ditch the SOLDIER threads. I don't think they'll expect any of us to get to the upper city, so danger should be minimal." Cloud nodded at me tightly before heading toward the beach, Zack giving me a thumbs-up as he ran after Cloud.

Now it was time to get the lot of us up to the upper city. Turning to head toward the guard, I instead found myself face-to-face with the old woman who had let us use her house last night. In her arms were…

"My clothes!" I exclaimed as she handed them to me.

"I had them properly washed and dried. They're still quite stained from mud and whatnot, but it's the best I could do."

"Thank you very much, you're too kind," I told her as I shoved the clothes back into my pack. The woman smiled and departed down the road.

"So, how're we gonna get up to the city?" Barret asked, his own now clean clothes being tucked into his pack.

"I still think we can convince the elevator guard," I informed him as Kunsel and Yuffie walked over.

"He'll want our money though, or worse, our materia!" Yuffie looked agonized at the thought of losing either.

"Let me take care of it, I can be very convincing when I want to be." As I walked toward the guard I passed Aeris and Tifa who were both headed back to where the group was congregated.

I didn't reach out to use the Jedi Mind Trick immediately, I wanted to see if I could reason with this guy first. The guard remained relaxed as I approached and offered a slight disarming smile. "Excuse me…"

"Don't bother, little girl. No one is going up today. Orders from above."

"Sir, my friends and I have some very important business to attend to and-"

"No one is using the elevator today without orders." The man's piggish eyes roved up and down my form, I instantly didn't like him in the least.

"Even for someone with a medical condition?"

"Nope, not unless you've got something worthwhile to offer." His lips turned into a bit of a lecherous grin.

You know what, screw trying to reason with this guy. I have no patience for several types of people, and perverts like this definitely made the list. Reaching out with my mind, I took control of his senses with surprising ease.

"You have your orders," my voice was laced with the power, and the man nodded dumbly. "What are they?"

"I am… to let you… and your friends… up in the elevator."

"And forget our existence after we are gone." I finished the command as I signaled the others to come over as the guard opened the elevator door.

Everyone loaded into the elevator as quickly as they could and before the door closed, the guard offered a very lackadaisical, "Happy day…" I had a feeling his eyes were at half mast behind his helmet.

"How much did'ya pay 'em?" Barret demanded after the doors had closed.

"20 gil," I responded, deciding now wasn't the best time for them to find out about my mental abilities.

"Not too shabby," Tifa stated with a grin.

Aeris was staring at me again, as was Kunsel. Everyone else seemed unperturbed.

The elevator stopped after a few more seconds and we exited into a hangar-like area that was filled with people, many in uniform, getting into formation for the parade.

"Let's go," Kunsel whispered and we all pushed our way out of the area and onto the streets outside.

No one knew where the docks were, apparently Kunsel had never been there and no one else was familiar with Junon, so we waited several minutes for the parade to start. At my insistence, we didn't move until after Rufus's car had already passed.

Keeping behind the crowds, and making sure to make eye contact with no one, we followed the parade route toward where the docks apparently were. Enroute though, we did get treated to a certain spectacle from the game: Cloud joining the march, a stumbling Zack right behind him.

I heard Tifa, Aeris, and Barret all snicker at the sight of the stumbling trooper, not realizing that it was in fact Zack. We heard the announcers via the intercom of Junon make several decent comments, then disastrous ones about the parade before demanding that someone send "the idiot trooper a bomb". I laughed internally; there wasn't much I could do about this.

We finally reached the end of the route, the troops running into another covered area as they broke ranks.

I called the surrounding power to weave a net of disinterest around us as we followed Kunsel as he led us through a corridor and up a stairway to a locker room.

"These bases are all designed the same," he informed us with a grin as he opened a closet filled with folded uniforms. "Even where they keep the spare uniforms."

"That suites the lot of you, but I think this won't do for me," Red growled as he stared at the uniforms.

"I was thinking of trying to sneak you on board in an equipment box," Kunsel informed him.

"Red, try standing on your hind legs and tucking in your tail. Humans are not the most observant of animals, especially when they are busy."

"They ain't gonna miss that sort of thing for the entire trip." Barret was already searching through the MP uniforms and quickly coming to the conclusion there was nothing that would fit him.

"Believe you me; they can, especially since Rufus will be on that ship." Everyone stared at me then as I reached into the closet and pulled out a uniform top that looked like it might fit me. "Was I the only one listening out there? Rufus plans to ride on the ship heading to the western continent as a political gesture to encourage trade or something."

My explanation was accepted and everyone moved to different areas to change into the pilfered uniforms. The girls got the shower room and I used some of our bandages to bind Aeris and Tifa's breasts. Yuffie and I were not well enough endowed to need binding so long as we wore the undershirts and the little ninja complained about it, loudly.

I was wondering if I might have duct tape in my pack as we all moved back into the main locker room, the boys already changed. Barret was the only member not dressed as an MP; instead he was bursting out of the seams of a sailor uniform, probably the largest article of clothing on the base. Red was in the MP uniform, looking a bit uncomfortable about standing on his hind legs. Kunsel was handing out the helmets that went with the MP uniforms; none of us put them on right away though.

"When we get on the ship split up into pairs and keep moving. If you look busy then you are less likely to be stopped." Everyone nodded at Kunsel's words as he slid the helmet on then stepped over to help Red attempt to get his to cover his canine face. Tifa, Aeris, and I rolled our hair up and either tucked it into the helmet or under our shirts.

The helmet was a very… different experience. At first I couldn't see then after a momentary adjustment the locker room came back into view, in a very restricted sense. Over half of my peripheral vision was cut out because of this heinous contraption! I could only imagine how Red felt.

"Barret, at the moment I envy you." I heard various sounds of the others agreeing with me, and of course I also saw Barret's face break into a grin.

Sneaking onto the ship was very simple after that, I didn't even need to maintain the net of disinterest. We all simply walked into the cargo bay, picked up something and walked, or in Red's case, pushed a cart, onto the ship.

After dumping our cargo into the cargo bay, each of us split up and did our best to try to look like we were on patrol. Walking down one corridor of the cargo hold, I picked up several of the items that I saw and noted the location of the armory in case Barret needed to reload his gun.

As I turned a corner and found a stairway leading down Kunsel fell in step next to me heading down the stairs. We walked in silence for a moment down the stairs then through a few more corridors until we found another set of stairs.

"Do you have diabetes?" Kunsel asked as we returned to the second deck, this time near what appeared to be a cafeteria.

"No, hypoglycemia. You saw my hand shaking this morning?"

"You've been careful in covering it up thus far, but it's dangerous to not let at least one of us know. Do you have any insulin?"

"No, as I said, this isn't diabetes, its hypoglycemia. My body produces too much insulin and causes my sugar levels to fall too low. Easiest fix is for me to eat regularly and keep a supply of candy."

Kunsel whistled faintly as we walked past the cafeteria, finding yet another staircase that led to the top deck of the ship. As we reached the deck I saw that Tifa had helped Red up to a raised platform where he had planted his forepaws, looking not unlike a lookout.

Gazing out at the dock we watched as the dock crew unchained the ship, prepping it for cast-off. Then the ship was pulling out of the dock and into open water and I continued my "patrol" around the perimeter of the ship, Kunsel walking alongside of me.

Almost thirty minutes after setting sail Aeris appeared with Yuffie, guiding her to the railing on the side of the ship. I had almost forgotten about her motion-sickness, but I didn't want to defer to the Jedi Mind trick on a comrade if I really didn't need to. Heck, I didn't even know if it could help with this sort of problem.

"Do you have any gum?" I asked Kunsel, thinking of a few of the ways I knew to treat motion sickness. Kunsel shook his head immediately.

Aeris looked a bit more concerned for Yuffie as her heaving caused her to lean heavily over the railing for a moment, gagging loudly. Reaching forward, I began to rub the motion sick ninja's back in small gentle circles.

"Don't look directly down, look out at the horizon," I instructed in a calm and even measured voice, remembering what I could about inducing mild hypnotic states. "Just watch the horizon, how steady it is…"

_**With Shinra**_

"NO WAY!" Tseng heard Reno yell from where his temporary office was. He had probably just read the reports on the events that happened in the caves. He desperately hoped though that Reno didn't do anything… insensitive. Elena was still not able to be in the same room as him without trying to drown herself in liquor.

Hearing a door slam in the hall, Tseng looked up just in time for Reno to come racing into his office, excitement and confusion on his face.

"Is this true, yo?" he demanded without any preamble, shoving the report from Rude under his nose. "Did Elena really call you that?"

"It's in Rude's report," the Wutaian Turk responded as he turned his own eyes back to his own work.

"And that's what Rude really said, yo?"

"I'm busy Reno."

Reno didn't show acknowledgement to Tseng's statement. "So, how did AVALANCHE manage to prank Elena? None of them got near her, she isn't stopped by anything, she just finds herself making an odd comment while she reports feeling "out of control, impulsive", and you declare it a prank from AVALANCHE? What did they do, yo? Gas her?

Tseng rubbed his eyes tiredly before turning his eyes back onto his second-in-command. He really didn't want to have to discuss this, heck he almost didn't believe it himself, but facts were the facts and he hadn't been able to disprove this one. He almost wished he hadn't had that former spy executed.

"We received a report from a former spy that one of the Ancients may have a rather troubling ability. It was so outrageous though that it was disregarded until this incident with Elena."

"Ability? All I thought they were capable of was growing flowers, yo."

"That would be Aeris Gainsborough's talent. It's the second one that bothers me. She claims her name is Rachas and I saw no visible sign of a lie, yet you could tell she wasn't being inherently truthful, like she just gave a nickname. She claims to be 25, the scientists who examined her think she may be younger. Obviously well educated, well spoken, but there is something else also."

"What did the spy say, yo?"

"He experienced something similar to Elena when he encountered her except that she ordered him to do something and he was helpless to resist her commands."

Reno stared in mild shock at his boss before declaring loudly, "You can't possibly believe that, yo!"

"I'm starting to think there may be something to it. I've made a point to check the Science Department's records on Ancients and it indicated that there were many talents held by those within the race, some of them very spectacular. Unfortunately, those records are rather incomplete due to a lacking of Ancients and the fact that those who "studied" them were more interested in what they could make using the cells of Ancients than what the Ancients themselves were capable of."

Standing, Tseng turned to the window, facing away from Reno. There wasn't much to see outside, no view to make this window anything special, just an outlook over Junon leading toward the canon base. "That blond Ancient, Rachas or whatever she decides to call herself, I believe that she is capable of some things that make her very dangerous. And she seems intent to protect Ms. Gainsborough and has taken a liking to AVALANCHE."

_**Normal**_

"Ah-CHOO!" I sneezed loudly, unfortunately knocking Yuffie out of the light hypnosis I had managed to induce over the last hour and a half.

The ninja girl woke completely after a few seconds and groaned as she began to turn green all over again. Aeris and Kunsel had already moved on by now to look for Cloud and Zack, leaving me with the task of calming Yuffie down all over again.

"We're going to be getting you some gum when we get to shore," I informed Yuffie as I began rubbing her back again.

"Ugh… Why does this sort of thing happen…" Yuffie asked as she visibly fought down her nausea.

"Well, the semi-circular canals in your inner ear dispute what your eyes are telling your brain causing an upset in your systems…" I trailed off when Yuffie turned to glare at me out of the corner of her eyes.

"Why in the world do you know that?" She seemed to be getting a bit better again now that she had a bit of distraction.

"Aeronautical medical information," I replied with a grin. "I never got motion sickness, but plenty of people do, and my instructor thought it best that I know the why's as well as the how-to-treat's. I always thought it was fascinating."

"Physics and medical knowledge, anything else that you consider necessary to be a pilot?" A voice asked from behind me. Turning I saw that Zack had finally appeared and he looked kind of ridiculous in the MP uniform, though he did need to cover those glowing eyes.

"Mechanical ability is nice but navigation, emergency management, and ability to assert yourself are all mandatory. If you want to instruct then psychology to learn the fundamentals of behavior control and recognizing unusual signs of stress are also necessary. Where's Cloud by the way?"

"Looking for Barret," Zack responded as he glanced over at Yuffie who was still slightly green. "Man, I remember Cloud used to get motion sick all the time. How you holding up there?"

"Kill me…" Yuffie muttered as I turned back around, having never ceased rubbing her back.

"_Emergency alert! Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship, report when found! I repeat..."_

Grabbing Yuffie, I followed Zack to the center of the ship where everyone had begun to congregate. Everyone noticed right away that Barret was missing seeing as how he was the only one of us dressed as a sailor, and after a moment we realized that Cloud was also not there. Looking to the bow of the ship, I saw that Barret and an MP were on their way to join us, and a moment later we had our entire group back together.

"So everyone's here?" Aeris asked, relief evident in her voice.

"So wait...you don't think that suspicious character..." Barret trailed off.

"Sephiroth?" Cloud asked aloud, causing Zack's ears to perk.

"Could be, even he'd need help crossing an ocean."

"Then let's find out."

"It's the most logical thing to do."

"Then it's decided, we'll see what this is about." Everyone raced below deck toward the cargo hold, thankfully keeping their borrowed uniforms on. Weapons did make their reappearance though, and even Yuffie looked better at the notion of a fight.

Scattered about the cargo hold were dead bodies, all of them slashed like the ones in the Shinra building had been. Aeris stopped for a moment by one of them when they twitched, looking hopeful and ill. Stepping beside her and kneeling next to the body, I checked for a pulse before shaking my head to her.

"Post-mortem twitch," I told her as I hustled her back to the group where Cloud was opening a door that had previously been guarded.

As our group pushed through the door, we came upon two dead guards on the floor and one standing in the center of the room.

"Is it… Sephiroth?" Before Cloud could approach the man, I reached out and stopped him.

"He might be in shock, Cloud. Any sudden movements or further jarring could cause more harm."

"That's not Sephiroth," Zack confirmed.

A loud, baritone voice filled the surrounding area before anyone else could say or do anything. "After a long sleep... the time... has come." Right in front of the paralyzed trooper, a being began to faze through the floor before solidifying into the form of the fallen general. The trooper in turn finally seemed to have enough as he gave out a strangled noise before collapsing on the floor, I wasn't sure if he was dead or alive.

"Sephiroth, you're alive!" Cloud sounded venomous, angry.

"Impossible…" Zack murmured, transfixed at the image before him.

Sephiroth looked first in the direction of Cloud, no recognition in his features. "Who are you?" he asked flatly before turning his gaze onto Zack. "And Zack Fair. How unexpected."

A sudden chill ran up my spine then as I felt something, almost like a scream that was almost outside of earshot. Calling the power around me, I listened for an echo and there it was again, a resounding cry that I couldn't pinpoint. It wasn't important though, probably just the echoing cries of those that Sephiroth had killed.

"Sephiroth what are you thinking? What are you doing?" Sephiroth ignored Zack and looked toward the ceiling.

"The time...is now..."

"What are you saying? Be more..." Cloud's demand was interrupted when Sephiroth suddenly jumped into the air and hovered for a second before blasting straight through our group, knocking everyone down.

"Ugh, now I'm really going to be sick," Yuffie announced as I looked up.

"Wait until you see that!" I shouted causing everyone to look upwards at where the purplish-pink mass of Jenova was forming itself into a monster.

"Dodge!" Kunsel yelled as the thing began to descend to the floor, and everyone jumped back and sideways. I grabbed Aeris's arm and dragged her up the ladder to the walkway above.

"We'll cover them with spells from up here," I told her.

"Alright," she responded as I released her arm and raced across the walkway to the other side of the room. From there I finally took in the sight of Jenova.

Jenova was a monster, simple as that. This particular piece was a little over ten feet tall and wider than Barret, the entire form a hideous mass of purple-pink flesh that looked like a skirt at the bottom. On the floor surrounding her, our group had spread out already, Zack and Kunsel charging in to strike at her with their swords while Barret began to fire at her again.

Focusing on my lightning materia, I threw a bolt at the monster's head, catching it on the side of its head, leaving a decent looking scorch mark. The creature howled furiously, and seemed to attempt to slam in Zack's direction right as Cloud landed a hit on her side, opening a large gash in her side.

A clang drew my attention to the center of the walkway where I saw a healthy looking Yuffie wind up and hurl her shuriken, its path slashing across the area scorched by my lightning attack.

A howl announced that Red was making a charge himself, his teeth clamping onto a flap of flesh as his claws drew thick scratched across the hide. Tifa followed Red's lead, slamming a fist hard into the scratched area.

Reaching back into my pack, I withdrew the materia that Priscilla had given me and focused on the summon. It was a huge drain, but the air in the hold was instantly much colder, ice forming on almost every surface. Amongst the ice a pretty blue haired sprite appeared, her form tall and graceful. Holding up her hand, a large wave of ice rained down upon the monstrous Jenova, the monster's form shifting from purple-pink to purple-blue.

"Wow," I murmured as I observed the damage caused by Shiva before turning my attention to her. Our eyes met momentarily and she gave me a slight nod before she faded.

Everyone attacked in the next moment, Zack, Kunsel, and Cloud attacking the calamity from the sides, Tifa at her back. Yuffie aimed high in the front, Red took the lower part of the front, and Barret sprayed the front midsection. Reaching into my pack, I drew out an ether and downed it quickly.

Jenova managed to throw them all off with a spin, but her form was very bloody by now. Her retaliation was in the form of a laser barrage, striking Red, Barret, and Zack in her rampage. Yuffie barely escaped the barrage herself by leaping up to the walkway with Aeris and me, and we immediately busied ourselves with casting cures on everyone who was hit.

Having just finished healing Barret, I glanced up to see that Jenova was once again prepping to fire her laser, except this time she was aiming at Yuffie this time.

"Yuffie, move!" I yelled, but Yuffie had already launched herself clear of the platform. Jenova's laser smacked into walkway a second later and both Aeris and I were thrown off of our feet. The platform I was on was now tilted alarmingly, the boxes beginning to slide off. And Barret was right beneath them!

Reaching out with the surrounding power, I directed it to levitate the boxes but didn't force it. It was surprising how easily the task was done, and with an extra push I was able to launch the boxes at Jenova, smacking the bloodied form mercilessly with the heavy boxes.

Aeris had managed to regain her feet now and continued casting cures, focusing on Cloud now.

Kunsel on the other hand was glowing, literally. Red also released a howl and crouched in a way that reminded me of his attack pose for Sled Fang. As I watched, Kunsel flashed around Jenova, striking her five times that I could count before launching himself straight up and coming down for one more strike right as Red collided with her front using Sled Fang. The result of this combination attack left Jenova obviously dead, her form withering in a disturbing fashion on the floor, shrinking to the size and shape of a regular human arm.

"What the fuck was that thing?" Barret demanded, staring at the arm in disgust and confusion.

"Jenova, and you have more right to declare yourself a Cetra than that thing does," I told him as I jumped down to the floor, landing easily on a box. Within me I felt a horrible level of disgust at the monster; I wanted to be as far away from it as I could yet also I also needed to destroy this thing. "Lend me your fire materia Barret."

"Ok, but I want it back." Barret tossed me the materia and I focused on the flesh of the alien arm and cast the spell, setting the severed limb ablaze. I tossed the materia back to Barret then, even as Yuffie tried to make a swipe at it.

"Why'd you do that?" Zack asked as Aeris joined us on the floor again.

"As I told Barret, this thing is no Cetra. I don't know what this thing is, but it's not meant to be on this planet, and its intent is malevolent." Aeris nodded at my explanation to Zack.

"That was Jenova's arm," Cloud stated, staring at the flaming mass.

"Sephiroth's been walking around with that?" Barret's disgust was even more notable.

"I can't believe a monster like that got on here," Yuffie stated, earning nods from Red and Kunsel.

"It was definitely Sephiroth though," Cloud said as he turned to Zack.

"He said something about it being time for something."

"Time for what…" Cloud looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sephiroth went searching for the Promised Land so he could become ruler of the planet... that was five years ago. Then he came back and killed the president. And we all just saw him now, so he has Jenova with him because he wants to go to the Promised Land with her... I guess that's about it then."

"There's still one problem: Jenova is no Cetra, meaning Sephiroth isn't one either. They shouldn't be able to find the Promised Land." Aeris had spoken up this time, surprising everyone.

"Then how…" Cloud's question was interrupted by the intercom clicking on.

"_Dock workers, we will be docking Costa de Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking."_

"We better hurry," Kunsel stated as he straightened his borrowed uniform. Everyone followed suit, straightening uniforms, stashing weapons, trying to regain some semblance of order to our appearances and not look like we had just come out of a fight. A groan from the other side of the room reminded me of something though.

"I'll be right back," I told everyone as I rushed over to the fallen trooper, assessing his condition using my Jedi skills. A quick scan told me that he had indeed been shocked, even more surprising was that Jenova's thrashing and our fighting hadn't injured him. I cast a quick cure spell even as I shuffled through his memories and was pleased to see none of them contained any of us.

"He should be fine; he is unconscious so I doubt he saw any of what happened. Perfect alibi to declare Sephiroth did all of this." As I walked back to the group, I picked up the materia that had been dropped by Jenova, a faint whisper said "Ifrit" to me.

"Let's go, we don't want to get caught here," Zack called as he pried open the door that led back to the main cargo.


	18. Chapter 18

SA: (eye twitching)

Saria: heh- Um… Surprise?

SA: We're moving to the WEST COAST?

Saria: Yep…

Tori: And you've sold everything except our car, the laptop, and a futon?

Zas: I got my surfboard!

zzzzzzzzzz

Departing the ship was nothing particularly interesting and as our group walked onto the dock, Yuffie gave a very obvious sigh of relief.

"Damn it's hot," Barret groaned as we reached the end of the dock, he was already visibly sweating. "But I sure feel better saying goodbye to that sailor suit. Now be sure to mingle with these folk, so we don't look suspicious."

Aeris pouted visibly before saying to the group, "Aww to bad, I liked Barret's sailor suit. He looked so cute."

Barret froze for a moment then turned to stare at the still-disguised flower girl. "What do ya mean 'cute'?"

"Barret, why don't you use the suit as a pair of pajamas?" Tifa added, trying not to laugh.

"Marlene would definitely love that!" I added.

"What? Cloud, are they serious?"

Cloud seemed to contemplate for a moment. "Awww, you look like a bear wearing a marshmallow!"

Zack howled with laughter and he was joined by Tifa, Aeris, Kunsel, and myself. Red seemed to be suppressing his own version of laughter while Yuffie blinked in obvious confusion.

"What's a marshmallow?" she asked.

"I'll show you one later," Tifa volunteered.

"All of ya shuddup! These happen to be the most comfortable!"

"You couldn't fit into anything else," Kunsel pointed out.

"Could we please hurry? This heat is drying my nose." Red was visibly showing signs of being quite hot, panting as he spoke.

"Alright everyone, we'll be taking a quick break before heading out again. Take this time to relax!" Zack declared.

"I came here several times for vacation," Kunsel reminisced as we walked toward the main part of town.

"Same here, but my vacations always got interrupted by monsters then I couldn't think of anything to do except squats." Zack glanced over at Aeris. "Do you have a swimsuit by any chance? Should I buy you one?" Aeris smiled and slapped her boyfriend's arm as everyone began to peel away and head in their own direction.

In only a few minutes I found myself walking through a portion of Costa Del Sol not featured in the video game and found myself very keenly reminded of the time when I got stuck in the Bahamas for several days due to troubles with the airplane I had been flying.

I ditched the Shinra MP uniform in a public restroom and happily changed into a camisole and my cargos, noting that I really did need new shoes. My current ones were about to either become sole-less shoes or very interesting sandals. A quick smear of sunscreen later and I was ready to go.

Walking back onto the street, I began to stop several people until one of them gave me directions to a local shop. The shop was only a short distance away and looked to be a bit on the run down side. The proprietor sat by the open door in a folding chair, chatting to his neighbor.

Upon noticing my approach, eyes on the store, his neighbor murmured just loud enough for me to hear, "Turistas estúpidos." The man who I assumed to be the owner of the shoe store gave the man a look to which his friend responded with, "¡Esto no parece ella no hace nos entiende!"

Well, my Spanish isn't the best, but I believe he just called me a stupid tourist who doesn't understand what they are saying.

"Oi cabron, hablo español también." Turning my eyes to the shoe store owner, I continued. "Espero comprar algunos zapatos." And I had just about reached the limit of Spanish I knew.

The man actually laughed and led the way into his store, measuring my feet quickly with a Brannock Device, whistling at my narrow size 10 foot. Actually choosing a pair of shoes wasn't difficult; he only had six pairs that would fit me, which was honestly a better choice than what I usually got.

Trying on a simple pair of black shoes, I paid for the shoes before leaving the shop. A grand total of five minutes had been spent in the shop, and as a girl who didn't like to shop for clothes or shoes, this was a relief.

Dumping my old shoes into a trash can along the street; I followed the street and headed for the shore, soon finding myself in the town square featured in the game. Cloud was just arriving in the area also, Red was relaxing in the shade by the bar, and Yuffie was by the stall that sold soft.

"I think we need to keep an eye on Yuffie," I whispered to Cloud as I stepped up next to him.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Cloud pulled at his collar, having already ditched the shoulder armor just as I had suggested. Still, the black turtle neck could not be comfortable in this heat.

"Thought you'd be keeping an eye out for Tifa actually," I informed him. "Beach setting, her in a swimsuit kind of deal."

Cloud's blush made him look decidedly sweet, and as I laughed at the pink-faced hero he swatted at me.

"You two seem to be doin ok!" Turning I saw Barret heading toward us, his regular clothes back, though I was certain I saw the collar for the sailor suit sticking out of the top of his pack.

"Hey, you heading for the beach?" Cloud asked the gunner.

"Nah, sands not my thing. Headin to the bar."

"Try a mojito, those are my favorite!" I yelled after Barret.

_**Shinra**_

"What a long boat ride that was." Heidegger waddled from the dock to the shore, sweat already beginning to appear on his hairy face. He was followed shortly by a rather bored looking Rufus who didn't show any interest in the town.

"Good work everyone."

"Gya, ha, ha! Hurry up with that!" Heidegger yelled at two troopers who immediately rushed to work on the awaiting helicopter. "It's good we've had in increase in importation, more income for us, gya ha ha ha ha."

"You know, I heard Sephiroth was aboard the ship." Rufus sounded almost nonchalant with his statement, but Heidegger was cut off immediately in his laughter.

"...Yes."

"And though there was no solid proof of them, that AVALANCHE was onboard as well." The young president turned and glared at the fat man.

"...Yes."

"They all slipped through. You screwed up this time, Heidegger."

"I am ashamed of myself."

"Is that all you can do? Give one word answers and apologize for everything?" Rufus glared at his supposed Head of the Military.

One of the sailors approached the two. "Ready for departure sir!"

"Do something, I'm expecting results," Rufus ordered the fat military man before boarding the helicopter. After take-off, the blond pulled out the files that he had had organized on AVALANCHE and examined them again, noting the five who held possible interest and all updated notes on them. They may not be a threat to him, but he was not going to be a fool like his old man had been and ignore them until they could become one.

Fair's folder indicated he was the most likely to become a threat in the future. The protégé of Angeal Hewley, former SOLDIER First, well liked and charismatic. And then trapped by Hojo in a lab and experimented on for years alongside the second most interesting, Cloud Strife, an aspiring SOLDIER.

Cloud Strife actually had been slated for the SOLDIER program if he had been able to come back from that mission in Nibelheim. He had been on several very difficult missions before that point, even accompanying Tseng and Fair to Modeoheim. He was the only regular trooper to make it back from that particular mission.

Kunsel, former SOLDIER Second, could possibly become dangerous just because he was with the group and would cause many to wonder why three SOLDIERs would abandon Shinra and join a terrorist group.

Finally the two Ancients; Aeris Gainsborough and "Raches".

Plenty of information on Gainsborough: where she had grown up, her daily routines, her relationship to Fair. This one could become dangerous simply because of her story and how Shinra had supposedly wronged her.

"Raches" on the other hand, this one was a walking question mark. Hojo reported that she was undoubtedly intelligent, and during the one known encounter with her in the past she had been described by the Turks as professional and polite. Not threatening until one heard of the various rumors of her having special abilities. To make matters worse, they didn't even know what her full name was, much less if "Raches" was an actual name! She seemed to come out of nowhere, had no history, no records, but had several skills that were highly desirable.

Rufus snorted at the several pictures they had of the woman, a definite tomboy with long blond hair who wore no makeup. Attractive, daring, intelligent…

Tossing the folders down with a disgusted sigh, Rufus considered the options open to him. If he deployed full force to wipe out AVALANCHE, or at least remove the individuals who posed the biggest threat, then public sympathy could cause a backlash. Not to mention that AVALANCHE also seemed to have the ability to get themselves out of what should be an impossible situation and disappear, the best example being Midgar. Maybe the best solution was to be able to follow their movements, keeping direct tabs on the group, such as with a spy.

Question was how to do so, inserting an agent wouldn't be easy, not to mention that that Kunsel person would know of almost all of his accomplished spies. Trying to bribe a member of the group didn't seem probable, they all seemed to have something against Shinra and seven of them had been hunted, imprisoned, and/or betrayed by his company. He needed something they wouldn't suspect, something that would seem very innocent…

Rufus sat up as the helicopter began its descent to his private beach house as an idea came to him. He made it a point to always keep tabs on what his high-level employees were up to, and he knew for a fact that Reeve delved in robotics. One particular model that he should have just finished that not even that traitor Kunsel would know of should do nicely.

_**Normal**_

Cloud and I headed down to the beach after checking on Red and dragging Yuffie away from the stall she was attempting to rob blind. The sound of the waves brought smiles to both our faces for a moment before we both saw Tifa and a very pale Aeris, Zack being nowhere in sight. I remembered immediately why as I followed their gazes: Hojo.

The old, greasy looking scientist was lying on his back on a beach lounge while several women in skimpy swimsuits fawned over him.

"Is that Hojo?" Cloud asked, disbelief apparent in his voice.

My nose crinkled on its own accord. "Yes, and apparently he's just as shallow as most men."

"Go over and talk to him, he might know where Sephiroth is." Tifa's whisper was sharp; her eyes glowed with obvious hatred towards Hojo.

Cloud nodded then walked towards the Professor and his "posse", the three of us following him closely.

"What do you want?" Asked one of the women when she noticed our approach.

"I want to talk with that man." Cloud replied, his tone giving the impression that he meant business. She gave him a look before talking to Hojo.

"Professor Hojo, this scary man says he wants to talk to you." She said.

"I'm busy right now."

"Too bad, now talk," Cloud demanded.

"Alright, you sure are loud." The Professor turned his head to study us before a very ugly grin crossed his face. "Long time no see Cloud."

"Hojo."

"What are you doing here?" Tifa asked.

"Sometimes you just gotta do something like this," Hojo replied as he relaxed back into his chair.

"What are you trying to pull?" Cloud's voice was sharp, almost angry sounding.

"It should be obvious, I'm getting a tan."

"You're not the type to do anything even remotely like that," I pointed out, secretly thankful that the game had been accurate about one thing: Hojo was indeed dressed in his old stained clothes and lab coat. "And I don't think you even understand the point of tanning, though the rest of the beach is probably thankful of it."

Hojo blinked at me, almost like he was noticing my presence for the first time.

"Enough games, answer me!" Cloud demanded, trying to step into the Professor's direct line of sight.

Hojo seemed unaffected by the yell. "It seems we are after the same goal."

"You mean Sephiroth?"

"Did you see him?" Tifa questioned.

"I see... interesting." Hojo stood from his chair, attempting to come to eye level with Cloud.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'm just remembering a certain hypothesis." I really hated the way Hojo eyed Cloud at that moment. "Tell me, have you ever had the feeling someone is calling you? Or you should visit someplace?"

"I'll go anywhere Sephiroth is at," Cloud stated. "To beat him and end all this."

"I see... this could be interesting. Were you in SOLDIER? He he he he. Would you like to be my guinea pig?" Cloud started reaching behind his back right as I stepped before him, blocking him from Hojo. "Are you going to draw your sword?" Hojo goaded.

"Stop Cloud, I know how you feel, but you mustn't," Cloud looked back at Tifa and then around the beach. He shouldered his weapon only to hear Hojo laugh at him and walk towards Aeris.

"Aren't you one of the Ancients?"

"I am Aeris, the least you can do is remember my name." Aeris's voice belayed her anger. "I want you to tell me something Hojo, I know I am an Ancient, my mother told me so."

"Your mother? Oh you mean Ifalna. How is she?"

"You didn't know? She died!" Aeris's shock was apparent to all.

"I see." Hojo didn't seem the least bit sorrowful, at least not in the notion that a human had died.

"Tifa, take Aeris and find Zack," I ordered, my voice drawing the attention of Hojo as well as several other people on the beach. This man wasn't human, and I didn't want Aeris becoming more upset because of him.

"Yes, we probably should get going," Tifa said as she took Aeris's hand and began to lead her away.

"Wait, Jenova, is she really an Ancient? And Sephiroth? Do they share the same blood as Rachas and me?"

"No," I stated very loudly as I followed them, my hand on Cloud's shoulder. "You remember how it was when we met; I didn't feel anything remotely like that towards Sephiroth or Jenova." Glancing back, I saw that the nutty professor seemed to be deep in thought, not paying us the slightest amount of attention.

Once again feeling a bit mischievous, I called out to the surrounding power with my request. Hojo was promptly lifted from his feet and sent flipping through the air, lab coat flopping over his head as his shoes flew off before landing in a heap in the sand right before a wave washed over him.

I wasted no time in leaving the beach after that, not looking back even once as we trooped up the stairs back to the town.

We met up with Zack and Kunsel at the top of the stairs, right as Aeris was starting to crack from the encounter with Hojo. She held onto Tifa's shoulder and breathed hard, trying to stay calm.

Zack noticed Aeris's distress and started to move to comfort her when I drew his eye and shook my head. This really wasn't the time for his normal bouncy attitude.

The lot of us walked to the inn then, Cloud and I insuring we grabbed Yuffie who was again gravitating towards the stall that sold soft. The next hour was spent with Tifa and I helping Aeris calm herself as Zack got the story of what happened from Cloud.

The rest of the afternoon we all divided up once again to take a shot at enjoying the town. I found myself walking around alone again since Aeris had decided that maybe a few hours of actually being alone with Zack was probably what she needed. After checking my supplies I decided to restock on food and candy, especially the candy, I was almost out.

By the time I returned to the main square I was thirsty, sporting a pretty bad headache, and the craving that I had had for my favorite soft drinks that morning was back, and intensely so at that. The highlight of my day had been finding some really good chocolate on sale.

Walking into the bar, I saw that Barret had already beaten me there and he had a table to himself.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked as I slid into the seat across from him.

"Jus make sure ya take off yur armor, no drunked spells," Barret slurred, the alcohol on his breath was staggering.

I noted that the drink in his glass was amber in color, probably whiskey. He was right though, last thing this place needed was a drunk throwing spells. Come to think of it, I couldn't even risk getting tipsy anymore, could I? An uninhibited Jedi would probably be disastrous, and near impossible to cover up. "I'm just going to have one drink," I reassured Barret. "I never was a heavy drinker anyway."

"Wasn't either until…" Barret trailed off after a moment, I knew without poking at his thoughts that he was thinking of his destroyed hometown.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked moments later when he approached the table.

"A mango mojito if you have those."

The bartender stared at me, eyes moving up and down as though he were trying to evaluate something. "Sorry, no mojitos right now."

"Rum and Coke?"

"Nope."

"Sex on the Beach?"

The man shook his head in the negative yet again.

"What do you have?"

"How old are you?"

"25," I replied shortly, my annoyance starting to surface.

"Bull-shit," the man responded as he looked me in the eye.

Groaning loudly, I decided to ask for a virgin drink just to end this. "Do you have any soda?"

"Soda water."

"What do you have that has caffeine?"

"Coffee."

"Any chai?" I asked hopefully. God I despised coffee.

"What's chai?"

"Iced tea and lemonade?" When the man gave me a confused look, I elaborated. "Mix equal parts of iced tea and lemonade."

The bartender grinned as he walked back to the bar while I groaned over the fact I didn't have an ID to prove my age anymore. I might be a featherweight when it comes to drinking, but I did enjoy the occasional recreational drink. And without any soda this was proving to be torture.

Across from me Barret let out a gruff laugh at my defeat. My sour mood reminded me I could have used the Jedi Mind Trick to get my drink but I pushed it back. I didn't want to get people suspicious of me or get in the habit of abusing the ability.

Reaching into my pack, I pulled out a chocolate bar that I had seen a number of people who looked like locals were eating. Gently unwrapping the top of the bar I took a bite and found myself instantly in love. The chocolate had a smooth texture that melted on the tongue and was not overly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. It reminded me of some non-spicy Mexican fondue I had once had, except that as with everything in Gaia, the flavor was more vivid, more alive. God, when I went back to Earth, I was going to feel as though I were eating sand for quite a while.

My drink arrived a moment later as Cloud and Red entered the bar and walked over to sit at, or in Red's case, by our table.

"Hey Cloud, Red," I greeted as the two joined us, taking a quick sip of my drink.

"Rachas, Barret," Cloud responded as he took a seat between Barret and me. "Everyone will be joining us here in a moment for dinner and to make plans for departing tomorrow."

"Ok," Barret said around his drink as he drained the glass.

The bartender approached the table right as Aeris joined the table, Zack and Kunsel dragging a protesting Yuffie between them. As Cloud and Aeris placed drink orders, I got up and helped Kunsel scoot the next table over to join with ours to make one big enough for all of us.

Sitting back down, I noticed a large chunk of my chocolate was gone and turned my eyes towards Yuffie who had claimed the chair next to mine. Sure enough, there was a faint brown smudge on the side of her mouth.

"If you're going to steal something, be mindful of the evidence. Or in this case, you could have just asked," I informed her. "Aeris, would you like to try some of this?"

"Sure," Aeris was sitting on the other side of Yuffie and happily accepted the offered chocolate as Tifa finally joined us as well.

"So there you guys are," she stated with a smile as I broke off a chunk of chocolate for Cloud who had been looking at it with mild interest. "Has anyone ordered yet?"

The bartender was back with the drinks that Cloud and Aeris had ordered, even bringing a bowl of water for Red, and he had brought menus as well.

Glancing at the menu, I quickly decided on a chicken sandwich then lowered the menu for Red to read.

That dinner was a strange one for us since it didn't happen around a campfire and everyone wasn't eating from a bag or can. While talking we discovered that Cloud had gotten wind of a rumor that a man in a black cloak was seen heading to the west.

"Looks like we know where we'll be heading tomorrow," Zack declared cheerfully.

"In other news, the inn apparently is having an off season. They have enough available rooms tonight for all of us to stay there with two to a room."

"I'd like to stay with Rachas tonight," Aeris volunteered.

"Looks like you get the honor of bunking with me!" Yuffie cheered at Tifa. For her part Tifa gave a tolerant smile and patted Yuffie's head.

"I call Cloud!" Kunsel called next.

"I'll sleep with Cloud and Kunsel," Red stated, drawing no objections from either man.

"Wait, that leaves me stuck with him!" Zack stated with mock horror while pointing at Barret.

As we adjourned from dinner, Zack and Aeris headed for the beach for a walk during the sunset, I hoped that Hojo was gone. Cloud and Kunsel wrestled Barret toward the inn, Tifa walking along with them. Yuffie disappeared again, but seeing as most stall owners had already packed up their wares for the day, I didn't think too much of it. Red went right back to sitting in the shade of the inn and bar.

As for me, I headed for the edge of town, easily recognizing the Shinra villa which had a "for sale" sign on the front door. After testing the door and finding it locked, I used the power to unlock the door and slip in, certain that I wouldn't run into the realtor.

The place was abandoned, just as I thought it would be, the realtor having already left for the day. The raid that I went on was as thorough of one as I could possibly stage. I collected all the typical items but also poked through the cabinets, ransacked the wardrobes, overturned mattresses, and pushed around the boxes in the basement, all using the Jedi Push ability. This was part training, part grab anything that could possibly be of use.

As I left that night I took with me an extra 3,162 gil I had found, bringing my total money to 29,728 gil. I also had a shirt that I liked, a pair of shorts, bandages, and several bars of soap.

Walking to the beach, I sat in the sand and stared out at the ocean and listened to the waves and the voices of the planet. It was odd, I hadn't been able to clearly hear the voices for more than a week but I was already so comfortable with them. Right now they murmured of the ocean, of ships and the creatures that lived beneath the waves. How the tides followed the moon and of the winds brought by storms.

The ocean brought back memories of my college years in Florida. How every so often my friends and I would spend a night on the dunes of one of the local beaches with a bonfire, or walking with a possible boyfriend near a place where we intended to eat.

"Rachas." Aeris's voice jolted me out of my dream-like state. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just listening to the ocean." I grinned at her and Zack even as I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat.

"Let's get in before it gets too dark." Zack smiled as he offered his hand to help me up which I accepted.

Dusting myself to be rid of the sand sticking to my clothes, I followed the pair to inn, listening as Aeris told me about the starfish they had found.

That night as we both got ready for bed, Aeris asked me the question that I had feared she may ask before I was ready.

"Rachas, I know you're able to do a number of things with the Lifestream… And… Well… Would you teach me? I know I'm only hal-"

"Aeris," I cut her off with her name while raising my hand. "I've been contemplating when and how to teach you, and I don't think you nor I are ready just yet."

Aeris looked a bit crestfallen at my evaluation, and a bit confused.

"You'll get there soon enough," I reassured her. "In the time until I do start teaching you, I want you to try to listen to the planet. Whenever you have some spare time just stop and listen, call to the voices of the planet and ask them to speak with you. In turn, I'm going to be trying to figure out the best way to teach you. I believe we'll both know when the time is right."

"Alright, goodnight Rachas." Aeris climbed into her bed then.

"Goodnight Aeris," I replied, ignoring the thumping on the wall that was coming from next door where Tifa and Yuffie were.

The next morning everyone was up at dawn courtesy of Zack whether they liked it or not. After a quick breakfast we all were back on the road.

The terrain we traveled over soon enough gave way from the flat coastal area to the rocky beginnings of the low mountains that led to Corel. We were using the time to catch Yuffie up on more details than just "we are chasing the bad guy and will be fighting the evil corporation as we do so".

"So, do you think that Sephiroth has any idea where he's going? I mean if he wants to get to the Promised Land then he's got to have some idea where he's going. Do you think we'll get to see the Promised Land? Was it really the Silver Demon's sword that was impaling the President?"

Yuffie's mouth was running a mile a minute and we had only told her about Sephiroth's intention to go to the Promised Land and his "announcement" of said intention to Shinra.

"Sephiroth can't know where the Promised Land is, at least not yet! He's being far too random in his movements at the moment." Good god, Zack was trying to be the voice of reason to Yuffie's hyperness!

"This isn't random, it's a grid," I stated plainly.

Beside me Kunsel nodded as we began to climb yet another ridge. "Typical search grid for large areas, Sephiroth is still looking."

"But what could he look for to tell him he's there?" Aeris asked.

"The President did say that the Promised Land was extremely fertile, maybe a place where plants do very well?" Tifa tossed her suggestion to the group.

"That could be any forest or meadow on the planet," Red countered.

"Not to mention farms, especially prosperous ones."

"So there has to be an honest sign of the Promised Land." Cloud was looking very thoughtful.

During the entire conversation though, I noticed that Barret had not said a word. Actually, Barret had hardly spoken all day, not since Zack had declared that after gathering some information from other travelers, the only clear way to the west would be to head for a place called Corel and catch a ride to Gold Saucer.

This was going to be a long couple of days…

_**Shinra**_

Rufus had just called another meeting with his executives when a trooper approached Heidegger with a report. Seeing as how the meeting hadn't started yet, and hoping for some good news, the young President allowed the man to make the report.

"Sir, there was another breach in security at Junon," the trooper reported with a salute.

Heidegger groaned loudly while Scarlet let out her trademark "Kya-ha-ha".

"What happened this time?" Rufus asked placidly, wondering what he should do about Heidegger in the near future.

"We had another stowaway on one of the ships that was bound to the Western Continent. Nothing was stolen but the suspect escaped."

"Which group was it this time?" Heidegger demanded, eager to give the order for an assault.

The trooper looked nervous and began to shift a bit causing Rufus to wonder just how bad the slip had been. They couldn't have possibly allowed Don Corneo to slip through, could they? "Well?"

"A chocobo, sir." The trooper saluted again and ran for the door, obviously fearing the possibility of Heidegger's wrath.

"Cho-chocobo?" Heidegger visibly choked even as the board members of Shinra attempted to smother their various laughs, Scarlet being the one exception.

Rufus for his part barely managed to keep a straight face. Well, it seems security wasn't bad enough to lose Corneo, and chocobos weren't all that stupid for birds.


	19. Chapter 19

Tori: (Is moping)

SA: (Glares angrily out of the car window)

Zas: Come on guys, driving from Florida to LA isn't that bad!

Saria: We've been on the road for two days…

Zas: (stares at the road with a crazed expression) We'll be there soon enough!

Tori: How many of those 5 hour energy drinks have you had?

zzzzzzzzzz

_**Shinra**_

"So, this be Costa Del Sol," Cait Sith muttered as he disembarked from the helicopter that had brought him from the President's beach house. His orders were to find AVALANCHE and join up with them then send reports back when able. Every so often he anticipated Reeve would take over to ask questions and interact with the various members. For right now though, he was going to get a clue as to where they were headed.

Hopping onto his mechanical mog, Cait entered the town armed with a number of pictures of the various members of AVALANCHE. He got lucky when one of the locals who owned a bar recognized the some of the people in the photos, pointing out the blond Ancient.

"Remember her, quite the impression she left," the man stated from his post behind the bar.

"Impression? What'd she do?" Cait could admit he hoped to hear about those rumored abilities of this woman, they sounded fascinating.

"She is said to speak the traditional tongue of Costa Del Sol!" The proprietor exclaimed. "No one except locals know the tongue anymore. Not since Shinra made this language the primary trade language."

"Said? Who told you? And do you know where they went?"

"My friend runs a shoe shop and spoke of someone who looked like her buying shoes there the other day. I heard them talking about heading to Gold Saucer."

"Gold Saucer," Cait noted as he put away the pictures and prepared to head back to the helicopter.

"Wark!" Glancing down a side avenue, Cait Sith was treated to the bizarre sight of seeing a chocobo stick its head into a garbage can and pull out what looked to be an old pair of shoes.

"Is that normal here?" Cait wondered as the chocobo turned and charged down the semi-crowded street.

_**Normal**_

We had already begun the long trek up the mountain path before Zack called a stop for the day. It was lucky that we had filled up our canteens earlier that day since there was no immediate source of water that any of us could see.

Once again I helped with setting up one of the tents alongside Kunsel, Cloud, and Tifa. Barret, Zack, and Aeris gathered wood while Red and Yuffie patrolled the immediate area. Well, it was more like Red patrolled and Yuffie lounged in a tree.

"Barret, you doing ok?" Zack asked as everyone took a seat around the fire, food pouches and cans for dinner in hand.

"Yeah, fine." Barret didn't look up at all and just poked at his food. He had been like that for a while, not talking all day and his attitude was slowly becoming surly and it was only going to get worse. I kind of just wanted to slap him at the moment.

"Did everyone remember to stock up in Costa?" I asked as I traded off half of my portion of jerky for half on Kunsel's dried fruit. The responses were scattered and it quickly became obvious that only Tifa, Kunsel, and I had thought to buy supplies.

"No worries, we should reach Corel the day after tomorrow and we can stock up there!" Zack's exclamation drew relieved breaths from various people in the party but Barret went especially rigid at the mention of the town.

"What's wrong?" A well meaning Cloud had also noticed Barret's tension.

"Nothin." Barret sounded surlier than ever.

"I'll take the first watch tonight," I volunteered, eager to distract everyone from Barret's odd behavior.

My volunteering led the conversation to arguments over watches then tent assignments. I didn't pay too much attention until I was informed that I'd be bunking with Yuffie that night after my watch. She had the second watch so it seemed optimal to everyone.

As was proving to be normal for me, that night during my watch I gazed up at the stars since I didn't need to gather any wood. The planet also whispered, telling me of rare snow falls, dry winters, rainy summers, and the wind that blew over the mountains.

Two hours later I woke Yuffie up for her shift then climbed into my sleeping bag, insuring that my pack was shoved to the foot of it where Miss Sticky-fingers would have difficulty grabbing it, and shoved all of my materia into pockets inside my clothes.

I slept deeply, not even stirring when Yuffie's shift as watchman ended and she rejoined me in the tent. We both slept undisturbed until Barret came crashing through the opening of the tent and landed heavily on us.

"Ouchie!"

"Get off!" I yelled as I struggled to extract myself from the sleeping bag.

"Sorry, tripped," Barret muttered as he stood and exited the tent.

Glancing outside of the tent, I could see that morning was about to officially break. Red was already up and sitting next to the remnants of the fire while Tifa was digging through her pack for something. After yanking my own pack from my sleeping bag which then got rolled up and store then hurriedly replacing my materia in their slots, I joined Tifa and Red.

"Barret's not acting quite right." Red turned his head to accept the jerky offered to him by Tifa.

"I agree, something really big is bothering him." Pulling two granola bars from my pack and taking a quick drink of water, I glanced at Tifa. "Have you ever seen him like this?"

"No," Tifa replied as she took one of my granola bars. "Barret is usually so forthcoming when something bothers him, he charges it head-on."

Red glanced in Barret's direction. "Then this must be something personal."

The tents were packed away shortly after the conversation and we were once again climbing the mountain path. Said path though had rapidly gotten quite steep, and to make matters worse several monsters attempted to ambush our group, mostly those insane little egg-like monsters. Because of the steep gradient of the slope most of us fought them using spells since we couldn't move too well. It was around then that Kunsel realized he still had my Ice and returned it, Yuffie once again trying to jump in to grab a loss materia.

About two hours after setting out while climbing what had to be the steepest part of the path, we happened upon the man who rested on the side of the trail.

"How's it going?" Zack called.

"What is it?" Asked Cloud.

"I just passed a guy in a black coat back there." Everyone instantly froze and stared at the man. "I tried to tell him it was dangerous up ahead, and he ignored me!"

"Sephiroth."

"Thanks," I called over my shoulder as our group hurried on up the path. Everyone seemed to be trying to go a bit faster than before and it wasn't long before some people, mainly Aeris, Barret, and myself, started to have some trouble.

"Slow down!" I yelled at Zack as I helped Aeris over a rock while Barret scrambled up on his own.

Sheepishly, Zack gave us an apologetic shrug and stopped for a few moments so the three of us could catch up.

At around noon the mako reactor came into sight and though we had a few more monster encounters, we didn't run into any real trouble. We finally got to the cart tracks two hours after noon and were crossing the bridge when I saw Barret shudder suddenly.

Apparently Aeris noticed as well. "Are you ok?"

"Fine…" the grumbled response was barely audible.

As we traversed the tracks, everyone kept a sharp eye out for any flying monsters. On the two occasions where one of those birds got too close they were promptly taken out by Yuffie's shuriken, Barret being too distracted to notice them until they were no longer an issue.

Yuffie of course grabbed up a materia that Kunsel identified as Transform when she asked what it was.

I remembered that there were also items under the tracks, but you had to fall to get them during the game. Luckily I was no longer bound by those limitations and kept an eye peeled for one of the possible items. I got lucky when a glint of metal caught my eye and after a quick focus and a call through the power, I was able to levitate it up enough for me to grab.

"Aeris, I think you can use this," I told her as I handed the pole to her.

"Thanks," she said as she took hold of the pole.

Yuffie, who was at the front of our line, gave a call then. "There are two ways we can go!"

Zack seemed to consider for a moment then did a head count. "Cloud, Yuffie, Rachas, and me will take the high path, everyone else take the low path."

"Ok," chorused several voices, and as we trooped single file to the fork, we split into our groups by taking the path we were assigned.

With Yuffie as our vanguard and Cloud bringing up the rear right behind me, the four of us climbed the higher path towards the bridge area. The switch to lower the drawbridge should be this way, but I couldn't just lower it for no reason. Glancing down I was pleased to see that we could see the other group was already at the drawbridge.

"Hey guys, you ok down there?" I called, turning Cloud and Zack's attention to the larger group.

"Fine, but the switch to lower the bridge doesn't seem to be down here!" Tifa was backed up by Kunsel.

"We'll see if we can find it!" Cloud called back for us as we continued our trek, earning a smile from me. It was good to see him gaining confidence.

We reached the ledge that wrapped around the cliff a minute later and trekked around to where the shack was, meeting four small bird monsters enroute. We divvied them up as one a piece, each of us killing one of the monsters then looting the corpse. When we reached the shack, it only contained one lever and when Cloud pulled it, the drawbridge lowered immediately.

"I hear something," Yuffie announced as we all turned to head back to the fork.

"Me too," Zack confirmed as he glanced up a ledge where a soft twittering could be heard. "What do you think it is?"

"There could be treasure!" Yuffie exclaimed immediately as she reached out and grabbed the wall and started to climb.

"Or a bird's nest," I called after her as I grabbed onto the wall myself and searched for a handhold and foothold. Beside me Cloud also grabbed onto the wall and easily climbed the wall, quickly overtaking Yuffie.

Several minutes later we were all standing in the beginnings of a shallow cave where a bird's nest full of chicks was situated with a chest in the back of it.

"Cute!" Zack squeaked, Cloud was smiling at the sight also.

"Look at the little babies! And treasure!" The greed in Yuffie's voice was palpable.

"Hold it! Do you even know what those are?" I asked as I grabbed Yuffie's headband. All I got from the ninja was a shrug.

"Those are baby cockatolis," Cloud stated. Yuffie simply stared at us for a moment.

"So?"

"So where's momma?" I asked logically as a heavy thump came from behind us. Should have known just coming up here would have resulted in this.

Turning slowly, I found myself face-to-beak with a very large bird, even bigger than the chocobos were. It was made worse in that chocobos usually seemed to have very sweet looking eyes, but this bird just looked ticked about everything in existence. Our being in her nest probably hadn't improved her day.

"Move!" Zack shouted as his hand shoved me to the side right as the bird attempted to peck me, causing me to lose my grip on Yuffie.

"Thanks," I called as I unsheathed my tantōs and focused on an ice spell. The spell struck the giant bird full in the face and then Zack and Cloud were upon the beast, swords drawn.

Turning to check on Yuffie, I was horrified to see her yanking the chest out of the nest. Well, at least we weren't going to have to face the consequence without the reward.

Turning back, I saw Zack receive a large gash on one of his legs and fell against the wall heavily while Cloud battled on with the bird. Seeing no opening to cast a spell, I joined the fray, slicing at the creature's legs, trying to force her to stop moving.

"Don't kill her!" I shouted at Cloud when I saw him about to take a shot for the bird's head.

Cloud audibly grunted from the effort, but he was able to turn the blade onto its side, smacking the bird's head right as she breathed out a thick smog that thankfully got cut off as the bird lost consciousness.

For a moment everything was still until I turned to Zack and cast a cure on his leg as Cloud moved over to the unconscious bird's body and tugged her away from the entrance.

"Why didn't you let me kill this thing?" Cloud grunted around the bird's form.

"Because she was only trying to defend her nest," I replied then turned my eyes back to the nest where Yuffie was still situated, emptying the chest of its contents. "Kill her and we might as well have just killed the infants."

Zack grunted as he stood on his newly healed leg then offered me a smile. "Guess Ancients are just like that, huh?"

Moving over to the cockatolis, I supplied the phrase, "Life is precious." I cast cure then on the cockatolis, healing her various injuries from her short-lived fight with two SOLDIERs.

"Let's get out of here before she wakes and tries to restart the fight," Cloud stated as he walked back towards Yuffie and grabbed what looked to be about seven Phoenix Downs.

"Hey! Those are mine!" Yuffie yelled as she jumped up and tried to grab the items back.

"You still have three left, and you didn't even attempt to help fight the mother," Cloud told her as he pocketed two of the feather-like items and passed the rest to me. Zack promptly plucked one from the small stack and shoved it into his own pack while I stored the rest in mine.

"But that is still my treasure!" Yuffie huffed angrily.

"And you probably would have had to use it on someone in our group anyway, or we might need to use one on you." I looked her in the sternly in the eye. "Would you have liked it if we had to rifle through your pack to get one?"

"I'm the Planet's most awesome ninja alive! I wouldn't have needed one!"

"Then you don't mind those of us who could find ourselves needing one having a few, just in case we get separated again," Cloud stated as he headed for the entrance of the cave and jumped out to the tracks below followed closely by Zack.

"I'll buy you some candy in Corel," I offered Yuffie as a means of keeping the peace as I stepped up to the ledge and began to climb down in the normal fashion.

"I want seven bars of that brown candy to myself!" she called as she approached the ledge also, a grin now on her face.

"We'll see."

A minute later we were all back on the tracks and headed back to the others. Yuffie seemed particularly bubbly as we walked back to rejoin everyone.

Everyone had waited for us at the drawbridge, and though the afternoon was over half spent, we agreed to continue on for a while longer.

Pulling my pack in front of me as we walked, I pulled up next to Aeris. "We found some Phoenix Down, so I'm passing some to you just in case." I passed her two of the four feathers and watched her place them gently in her pack, her expression seemed very down though. "Is everything alright?"

"There's something wrong with Barret, he's acting so…" She paused a moment as she searched for the right word.

"I think just about everyone has noticed, his mood has been worsening for quite a while."

"Do you think he is worried about Marlene?"

"He might be, but that doesn't explain why he's getting anxious now. We've no reason to believe that she is in any danger." Glancing over at Barret, I will admit that I kind of wanted to slug him for his attitude, but if I did then I might reveal something that I shouldn't know yet.

"So, what's in this Corel place?" Yuffie called out.

Almost every in the group called out that they didn't know then Kunsel called out, "I think they were a coal mining town."

"Either coal or oil, but definitely mining," was my confirmation. Barret was noticeably silent during the talk.

Zack called a halt right before the large bridge that would take us into Corel. Though everyone was eager to at the notion of sleeping in beds that night, we all also agreed that it was getting dark and we didn't want to tackle the rickety bridge just yet.

That night I climbed down into the ravine below the bridge with a water purifier alongside Kunsel. It wasn't a long climb down in the semi-darkness, but I hurried with filling my share of the canteens, only exchanging a few words with the former SOLDIER. We climbed back up right as night was officially falling.

"Well, that was boring," Yuffie declared as she walked back into the camp.

"Speak for… yourself." Gasping from the climb, I placed the canteens next Kunsel's load.

Tifa laughed as she fed the fire more sticks to the flames. "I think everyone is ready to eat, so you three feel free to break into your rations. Is there any place to wash up?"

"Not unless you want to stumble down a steep rocky slope in the dark to try to bathe in a cold mountain stream that doesn't seem to have any possible cover." I knew how she felt though, we hadn't had an opportunity to bathe yesterday and we had been traveling on a mountain trail for two days now, sweating as we climbed over rocks and fought off the few monsters we met. Thinking of something I hadn't been able to do for a while, one of those things was practice my Jedi skills, and if I wanted to teach Aeris eventually I was going to have to find or make time to truly get a handle and master those.

Tifa groaned loudly as she pulled her own pack to herself and claimed her canteen. She rummaged for a few minutes before pulling out a bag of trail mix.

"Ugh… More of this packaged food?" Yuffie complained as she swiped a handful of Tifa's trail mix. "How can you guys eat this every day?"

"Don't like it, don't eat it," Tifa responded.

"I'm sure everyone would enjoy it if you would hunt something while patrolling," Kunsel added as he ripped open a bag of jerky.

"I've eaten worse." I selected a bag of dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, and cashews for my own meal.

The meal that night consisted of Yuffie making remarks and complaints about the food, how she wasn't finding enough materia, how we weren't kicking enough Shinra butt… The list went on and on.

I excused myself as soon as I was done eating and ran into the tent I would be sharing with Yuffie again. Quickly unrolling my sleeping bag, tucking my pack into the foot of it, and then getting in myself, I began to focus on a meditation. It was an odd position to meditate in but I didn't want anyone to know just yet what I could do, especially when I first intended to practice levitation.

It took a few minutes but I finally managed to slightly levitate myself, not much though, just enough that I couldn't feel my weight on the ground. Reaching out with my mind I watched as the others slowly stood and retreated to their tents with the exception of Tifa since that night's guard schedule had already been decided on.

I watched as Yuffie entered our tent and laid out her own sleeping bag and then moved on after she got into it. Thinking back I decided to check on Marlene and focused my mind on her. The images came quickly enough and without the haze that had been present the first few times that I had used this technique. The little girl was safe, currently asleep, and seemed to have made it to Kalm with Aeris's mother. Jessie and Wedge were there also, doing odd jobs in order to insure that food and shelter were paid for.

Finally pulling away, I lowered my body to the ground and allowed my breath to deepen, falling to sleep shortly after.

I was awake again right before the sun rose and walked out of the tent ready to go and was surprised to find Red on guard duty.

"Good morning," Red offered after throwing one of the last pieces of wood we had onto the fire.

"Morning," I replied as I took a seat next to Red. "I thought Barret had this shift."

"Cloud thought Barret could use the extra rest and asked if I wouldn't mind taking this shift."

"That was nice of both of you." Absently I started to scratch him behind the ears again as I glanced up at the fading stars. I think I finally understand why I kept looking at them: I was wondering if I might see the sun of Earth up there somewhere.

About an hour later everyone was up, breakfast had been eaten, camp was packed up, and we were facing the first obstacle of the day: the rickety bridge. We tackled the bridge slowly in a single file, Yuffie once again going point followed by me, then Red, Kunsel, Barret, Tifa, Cloud, Zack, and Aeris. We decided on that order based upon who was best at distanced attacks and magic, putting Barret at the center since he was still so distracted.

Yuffie was dealing with a small bird monster when one of those fireball monsters rose from under the bridge.

"Ice it!" Kunsel yelled from behind me, but I was already casting. The monster changed from a violent red-orange color to a grayish color instantly after the spell hit and withered to ash right on the bridge, leaving a small pile of gil behind.

Grabbing up the gil, I stepped lightly around the pile and continued across the bridge. At the back of the group Zack was calling out instructions to Aeris as well since another bird was trying to attack.

A slight flash from one of my tantō caught my attention and I drew the blade and glanced at the materia.

"So it finally leveled?" Kunsel's voice called.

"Yep!" I didn't see any change in the materia physically, but I could feel the difference.

Once everyone was finally across that bridge, our group once again set out at a quicker pace along the mountain road. Barret looked like he was trying to shrink in on himself the closer we got, and finally after about a mile and a half, Corel came into sight.

"Wait here." Barret's voice shocked everyone in the group, myself included. He hadn't spoken for over a day now and hearing him suddenly speak up was strange.

Barret moved to the front of the group while everyone was still shocked and walked ahead of us, quickly being spotted by one of the men moving through the tents and various scraps on the ground.

"Well lookey here. Never thought I'd see your face again." The man's eyes were narrowed with hostility.

Another man approached as well. "Those people with you? I feel sorry for them, hanging around a death sentence like Barret."

"You got a lot of balls coming here. It's your fault North Corel is a garbage heap!" Yet another man had joined the first two, tossing another accusation at Barret. Around me I could feel everyone beginning to get angry at the display going on before us. I was barely able to bite down my own anger.

"Why don't cha say something? Or did you forget what you did here already?"

"...I'm sorry."

"Knock that off!" Zack demanded as he positioned himself next to Barret.

"Shit, you ain't even worth the effort."

"Don't waste your time talking to that techno-freak!" All three men turned and walked away and the rest of us drew closer to Barret.

"You heard them... it's my fault this town was... destroyed."

"How is that possible?" Aeris asked.

Barret just shook his head. "It don't matter anymore. What's done is done."

"That doesn't mean you're truly to blame," I started but was cut off by Barret taking off through Corel.

"I'll get," Red said as he walked in the direction that Barret had gone.

"Ok, meet up in half an hour at the ropeway station for Gold Saucer," Zack told the group and everyone began to move through Corel.

"Don't know about you guys, but I really want a shower," I murmured to Tifa, Aeris, and Yuffie.

"Oh yeah! I could definitely go for one of those!" Yuffie jumped up happily, wrapping her arms around Aeris's and my shoulder.

We asked a few people and ended up at the town "inn" with buckets of water. We scrubbed and changed our clothes, talking about what common luxuries we each missed. Baths, washing machines, and hot meals seemed to be the main items of that discussion.

We had several more minutes to get to the station after each of us had bathed, so we browsed through the stalls that people had set up in an attempt to earn some money.

I bought the promised candy for Yuffie from an old woman who obviously made the stuff herself. It wasn't chocolate, but it was pretty good. Tifa bought a mythril claw that looked as though it had seen significantly better days while Aeris bought a cheap bangle. All three of us were surprised when Yuffie didn't try to take anything. When we asked her while enroute to the station, her response was, "I'm not out to make life harder for these people."

"Barret what happened?" Asked a concerned Aeris when we arrived at the station and found everyone else already there.

"Sorry." He murmured.

"Why is everyone angry?" asked Cloud.

"My hometown used to be around here."

"What do you mean 'used to'?" Asked Red, confusion etched into his canine face.

"Aint here no more, heard it got buried four years ago." He seemed to space out.

"But how could those people say though terrible things?" Aeris said.

"And it's my fault... all my fault." Barret then told us about Corel, of how the peaceful mining town was approached by Shinra representatives wanting to build a mako reactor. How the one person opposed was his friend and he convinced him to go along with it.

"It happened when Dyne and I were out of town for a few days. Shinra troops burned down the whole place. My friends... My relatives... Everything."

"Shinra troops? Why!" Cloud yelled.

"There was an explosion at the reactor; they said it was done by a rebel faction." Everyone was shocked.

Tifa yelled "That's terrible!"

"Well I guess that's true. But more than Shinra, I couldn't forgive myself... Never should have gone along with building the reactor."

Tifa walked up and put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. We were all fooled by the promises that Shinra made back then too."

"But that's why I get so pissed off! Not only did they take advantage of me, but I lost my wife... Myrna, too."

"What I think you're forgetting is just what difference would it have made even if you had opposed along with your friend," I stated without thinking. When everyone turned their eyes on me, I gathered my thoughts. "Shinra wanted to build a reactor; do you think when everyone else in town agrees, that having one or two dissenters would be enough to stop them? Was this decision going to have to be unanimous or majority rules?"

"Hey everyone! If you want to get to the Gold Saucer then hurry up!" A conductor had appeared from a small wooden ticket house and was ushering everyone to the tram.

"Let's get going," Cloud said as he boarded the tram.

"Dyne was my best friend. We was close as ever since we was kids." Barret gave me a look that just screamed that he didn't think I understood as he boarded.

"I never knew, he never said anything." Tifa said as she followed Barret onto the tram.

"I'm not sympathizing with Barret, he never should have trusted Shinra." Yuffie seemed intent to sound like she wasn't close to tears during Barret's story. She was followed onto the tram by Kunsel, then Zack who was hugging a distraught Aeris.

"I got a feeling something off is about to happen," Red stated as we followed the others on to the tram.

The inside of the tram reminded me of a school bus, the seats being rows of benches with a walkway down the center. I snagged the first open bench I saw, right next to Zack and Aeris's bench and behind the bench shared by Kunsel and Tifa. Yuffie had claimed a bench to herself halfway up the tram, as had Cloud and Red. Barret had separated himself from us completely though.

I had no plan for what to do at Gold Saucer; I didn't think I would need one. And as the tram pulled away from Corel, I contented myself to finally meeting Cait Sith and hopefully having some fun before being sent to prison.


	20. Chapter 20

Zas: (is snoring in the backseat of the car)

Saria: As I'm sure many of you can see, we are still on the road.

SA: Apparently someone (glares pointedly at Saria) wanted to turn this move into a cross-country adventure.

Saria: Hey, we got to San Antonio yesterday after I posted, so no complaining!

Tori: Could we have a few reviews from our loyal followers? Anything to get our mind off the move?

zzzzzzzzzz

The ropeway was an interesting way to travel, almost like a cross between a plane and a gondola. The trip to Gold Saucer itself took a little over an hour and I spent most of it with my head shoved out a window with a huge grin on my face and the wind in my hair.

When the resort finally came into view it seemed to just glow even though it was still mid-morning, its shape vaguely resembling a very knobby tree. The multi-level amusement park made the various parks I had been to and over-flown on Earth seem pale in comparison, the roller coaster arcing high over the park, the gondola carts circling it, screams of excitement permeated the air.

"Now that's amazing!"

"It's pretty!" Aeris exclaimed.

"This is going to be great!" Zack pumped his fist as we approached the park.

Even Yuffie forgot about being motion sick at the sight of the park. She was currently bouncing up and down in her seat with her own head shoved out the window.

The tram dipped down to enter at a lower level area, and following the instructions of the conductor I pulled my head back in right before the tram entered a tunnel.

"Welcome and we hope you enjoy your time at Gold Saucer!" Well, Human Resources at this place either had done a good job at selecting this guy or he authentically liked his job because he sounded pretty sincere.

Everyone piled out of the door the moment the tram stopped. Well, almost everyone, Kunsel, Red, and Barret were more sedate than the rest of us but the first two did have a fair amount of spring to their steps. And Yuffie vaulted out the window.

The ticketing agent for the park waved us over enthusiastically. "Welcome to the Gold Saucer, are you all together?"

"Sure are!" Zack replied as we approached the woman.

"Oh good, our group rate is 3000 gil for all of you, but you can purchase a lifetime pass for 30,000 if you like." Around me most of the group stared at the woman before everyone began to check their wallets and pouches, counting out their gil. It took me a few minutes, but I counted out 30,426 gil and without thinking peeled out 3,000 gil as everyone started to call out how much they had.

"I've got it," I informed everyone as I handed the money over to the attendant who flashed a very toothy smile as she printed out nine paper tickets.

"Thank you very much," she said as she handed me the tickets and directed us to the entrance. "Now if you leave Gold Saucer your tickets will become invalid. Here at the Gold Saucer there are many places where you must pay with GP, just think of it as money you only use here. But it can only be redeemed at Wonder Square or the Chocobo races, your limit is 10,000. Please enjoy yourselves."

"You didn't have to pay for all of us," Cloud stated as we entered the park.

"You and Zack can give me sword lessons if I can ever find one I like," I responded.

"I think you gave us the better deal," Zack informed me as he slung an arm across Cloud's shoulder.

Aeris looked very excited and I was willing to bet it was her first time at an amusement park. "Wow, let's have fun!"

"I think we could all use some time to relax," Zack agreed, receiving nods from several others.

Aeris turned to Barret who still wore a scowl. "Hey Barret, cheer up."

"...I ain't in no cheery mood. Just leave me alone."

"Suit yourself." Zack walked over and laid a hand on Aeris's shoulder. "We're going to go play."

"SO PLAY! Messing around and shit! Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!" Barret ended his explosion by stomping over to the tube for Wonder Square and jumping in.

"I think he's mad."

"He'll be fine, he seems to be doing a little better now." Tifa gazed at the tube that Barret had disappeared down.

"At least he's not bottling it all up," I pointed out.

"He shouldn't explode like that though." Kunsel stated from behind me.

"Just let him blow off some steam, he'll be fine." Cloud sounded pretty confident as his eyes roved over the various destination choices we had. "Alright, I we can take a short break while we look for some clues. Stay in touch until then." Cloud walked over to the tube for the Speedway then.

"You heard the man!" Zack called as he walked over to the Battle Zone tube and jumped in, Aeris right behind him.

I walked over to the tube for Wonder Square and glanced in. It seemed to have a steep downward slant at first then curved upward. Glancing back at the others, I grinned and called out, "Let's do as our fearless leaders have ordered!" before jumping into the tube myself.

At first the tube was like a short slide but right as I reached what appeared to be the bottom, the tube opened into a broad circular area with a grate for a floor and wind suddenly caught me, forcing me through the opening at the top of the area and rocketing up a tube. There were several grates that sent an upward stream to aid my ascent through the tube along the way and before I knew it I was thrown out of the tube into the padded landing area of Wonder Square.

I stumbled a bit on landing but otherwise managed to stay on my feet. Glancing around I was pleased to see that at the moment the square was mostly empty with no sign yet of Cait Sith. This area was, as usual, much bigger than the game indicated and seemed to be an entire arcade of gaming areas, restaurants, and shops. I wasted no time in heading to the building that looked like the main arcade.

Climbing the ladder to what appeared to be a grated area, I was once again caught by a stream of air that through me up into the walkway for the arcade and ran down the hall quickly. I knew of two ways to score some easy GP and since running in and out of the park to find the guy who sold it wasn't an option that left the Mog game.

Moving past the basketball game and various crane games to the back of the building, I found the Mog game after only a small amount of searching. There was no one on the game despite the fact that the arcade was fairly crowded so I dug out the required money, dropped it into the coin slot, and started the game.

The game itself was pretty cute and utterly boring. Feed the mog to help him learn to fly. The main difference was that after learning to fly, you needed to help him reach the nuts he would need to present to a female he intended to court. From there it was: enter female mog. Present nuts. Feed him again to help him fly. Demonstrate proficiency in flight by picking more nuts from trees. Present nuts to female. Run ending credits. The only time I was more bored by a video game was when my parents went through the "video games are terrible and violent" streak when I was eight and confiscated all games and systems except the SNES and Mario Paint.

A cheer behind me caught my attention then and I turned to find myself looking up at the game nerd who had a disbelieving expression on his face.

"That was great! You beat the game on your first try! I could never pull that off!" It took every ounce of control I had to keep a semi-neutral expression and not either roll my eyes or comment on how the average five year old should be able to beat the game so long as they can reach the controls and see the screen.

"Thanks," I managed to say as the guy reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of gold tokens.

"Here, you did really good." I accepted the GP with as much courtesy as I could before hightailing it away from him. As I left the arcade, I checked the street below and sure enough, there was Cait Sith.

I had no clue whether or not trying to make myself unnoticeable using my Jedi Skills would work in this situation, so I used regular stealth as soon as I was down on ground level. I moved further away from Cait, ducking behind columns and posts and crowds of people until I was far enough away that I was sure he would not spot me.

Moving into what looked to be a coffee shop, I was surprised to find that the place doubled as a rave style dance area. The calm side of the shop sold pastries, tea, and coffee as well as non-alcoholic mixed drinks. Apparently Dio didn't allow alcohol at all within Gold Saucer. Pumping through the entire place was techno music that had an excellent beat though it was significantly quieter on the non-dance side. It was a chaotic place that promised a comfortable place to sit before and after you danced, I can't say whether I liked it or loved it. Thankfully I fit right in while wearing my cargos, black cami, and green flight jacket.

I bought a small pastry and a glass of tea for 4GP then watched the dance floor for a few minutes and thought of how great this place would be if I'd been able to bring some of my friends. Kim wasn't much of a dancer but she did love the occasional rave and Sara was sure to love this place also. The three of us hadn't been able to enjoy such a thing since… A pit settled into my stomach at that moment so I pushed away the thought. Idly I wondered if I'd get a strange look if I requested them to play some DJ Babyboi.

A horrific sensation hit me then from the surrounding power as I forced myself to relax, and unbidden the images of people being shot echoed through my head. Their terror and pain, it all hit me. What the heck was I doing here? I knew those poor people were about to be shot and possibly killed, and I wasn't trying to do something? Was I that lazy?

Turning sharply, I headed for the door as the creeping sensation left for a moment, stepping around several people in route to the door. It didn't matter if Cait Sith were still here or not, I needed to get to the Battle Square and do my best to reduce casualties!

Running down the street I must have been quite the sight as I dodged around people, jumped benches, and took whatever route I needed to get to the transport tubes without slowing down. No one was near the tubes when they came into view so my hopes of having at least Cait Sith to back me up were dashed promptly.

I didn't waste any time looking for someone else though as I threw myself head first into the tube labeled to take me to Battle Square.

The rush of air that greeted me in the tube didn't have the same force to it the first one had and I quickly realized it was just meant to keep my descent controllable. I took advantage of that by rotating myself into a feet first position so as my descent slowed further and I came to a gentle stop on a metal grate, I dashed straight out into the Battle Square and took the stairs up to the attraction two at a time.

Remembering that Zack had initially come this way with Aeris, I prayed that they were still here as I sprinted through the doors and found myself in a semi-crowded lobby of people looking to either fight and prove themselves in the arena or to cheer on someone who was fighting. Zack and Aeris were nowhere in sight. Rushing to the desk, I called the attendant over.

"You have to get these people out of here fast!" I told her in a rushed manner as I tried to catch my breath.

"Excuse me?" She asked, looking confused about my request.

"There's a very dangerous looking man coming with a gun! He seems to be insane!"

The attendant's eyes widened at my statement, but doubt was very evident in her features. "If this is a prank, you will be charged," she stated as she reached for a phone that was labeled "Security".

"I'm not making this up!"

"Whoa man! Point that gun elsewhere!" A voice shouted from behind me right as the planetary voices gave a cry of warning.

I didn't think, I just grabbed the two people closest to me and dragged them behind the desk with the attendant right as the first blast of gunfire and screams erupted. The four of us behind the desk dropped to the floor immediately.

The shots continued and all around us people screamed. The sound of feet running in all directions, of doors being pulled open and banged shut, of those trapped and crying for help surrounded us. And I was on the floor behind the desk, shaking with fear even as I felt their fear and pain and the horrible emptiness that Dyne claimed to dwell within him.

Something within me snapped at that moment and I stood without thinking, an eerie calm coating my mind, pushing away the panic and fear I felt, leaving just one intention, my mission: to stop Dyne from hurting these people.

The power the planet had granted me came easily at that moment as I faced Dyne from across the counter, and as another bullet left his gun I pushed it away from the person he was aiming at, forcing it to harmlessly hit the wall.

Dyne paused at that moment and began to turn towards me. I ignored the tugging at my pants one of the three on the ground were making to try to make me get back down and lifted my own arm. Perfect clarity echoed in my head as I unleashed a strike of Lightning, no longer feeling it a dark technique. It cracked out and danced off of the barrel of Dyne's gun, not allowing him to aim the weapon. He glared at me then, but I felt nothing of myself, even the desperation of the people trapped in this hall seemed barely audible anymore as I met his stare.

Dyne only sneered at me though and as he attempted to raise the gun again, I pushed. Dyne flew backwards, hitting a machine roughly but jumped back to his feet with an angry roar, raising his gun yet again. And I pushed again, this time sending the man skidding towards the door.

Dyne regained his feet just inside of the door and raised his gun again, ready to try for one more shot when he seemed to change his mind. I did nothing to stop him as he turned and ran out the door.

Reality came rushing back to me moments later as the cries of the injured reached my ears. Littered around the room were a number of people, most of them hurt and not all by bullet wounds. Some had been trampled and shoved around by those who were also trying to flee, others had gotten shut in doorways, and still others had tried to take refuge under or behind something only for it to fall on them.

"Quick, call Security and Medical!" I shouted to the attendant as I rushed to help a man who was stuck under a statue. The two men I had shoved behind the desk came to assist me moments later and I had them continue with freeing the trapped people as I turned my own attention on performing basic first aid on the injured.

I was tying a tourniquet for a man whose arm had been shot when I heard shouts.

"Man with a gun on his arm!" The attendant and went into hysterics.

""Hold it right there and stay quiet!" Yet another voice shouted, this one I didn't recognize. "Did you do this?"

"No, it wasn't us!" Cloud's voice floated over to me. It was difficult, but I kept my eyes on what I was doing and moved to the next man over, pulling out more bandages to attempt to stop the bleeding coming from the wound on his leg.

"Hurry and run! It's going to get ugly." A heavy sounding door was thrown open and rushing feet could be heard, then things went quiet for a moment before medical staff started to appear.

I got bundled away by the medics then, pulled along to the medical center where I started assisting the operating doctors by casting cure spells after they had removed bullets, freeing up both doctors and nurses to keep working on the heavily wounded. At one point when there was a brief lull as the doctors and nurses dealt with more patients, a nurse pulled me aside to check for injuries then took my bloodied clothes and handed me a set of scrubs to replace them. She also made me drink several ethers, declaring my magical capacity amazing.

Looking back I was surprised to realize that she was right, I had cast over ten cure spells and wasn't yet at my limit. That was a far cry from the two spell limit I had had not too long ago.

I was back to casting moments later, rushing around with a nurse who pointed out who was ready for cures and who wasn't.

The medical rush lasted over four hours and it was another two of observation before the doctors felt confident that the survivors were going to live. Out of the counted thirty-one people seriously injured during Dyne's attack, twenty-six had survived long enough to be brought to the medical center and another three had died here.

Twenty-three survivors from an attack where the game had indicated there weren't any. And in other good news my Restore materia had leveled while healing the injured. I was feeling really good as I picked up my pack and headed for the exit until a guard stopped me.

"Boss wants to talk to ya," The man stated as he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the administrative building next to the clinic. I offered no resistance as I was escorted through the doors and up an elevator to a posh looking office.

Dio greeted me in a rather chilly fashion, his bikini bottom clad form looking very tense behind his desk.

"Hello, my employee says that you were the one to warn her about the attack." Dio nodded to the chair in front of him and I sat. "She also says that you stood up, fought him off, and started the rescue efforts for the victims."

I nodded, when he looked up at me for confirmation.

"Would you mind telling me how you knew this man was going to be committing this act?"

"I saw him at the entrance for the Battle Square. His eyes and bodily behavior were suspicious and I was always trained to react to those suspicious actions by alerting people and removing them from the area." Only a half-lie on that one, and it was one that seemed credible.

Dio nodded at my explanation. "You're a nurse or security professional then?"

"A pilot sir." When Dio raised his eyebrows, I elaborated. "A pilot needs to know when to recognize suspicious behavior before they are in a situation that can truly be hazardous."

The man nodded before pushing a file forward on his desk. "You came here with a man who resembles the man described by my employee. How do I know you weren't in on the plot and had a change of heart?"

"The man who attacked was not as dark-skinned as my friend and his gun was grafted into his left arm. He isn't as tall or built either."

"I'm sorry to report that your comrades have already been arrested and sent to the prison beneath Gold Saucer. Why should I not send you as well?"

I stared at the man, disbelieving anyone could be this thick. "Why would I spend so many hours working alongside your doctors to save these people instead of using the cover to get away if they could just turn around and indict my friend or me for that matter? Our party has one person with a gun and did you even find him near the scene? Have you even taken statements from the survivors about what they saw? Was your employee able to give a better description than having "a gun on his arm"?"

Dio stared at me, his eyes taking on a calculating shade to them that you wouldn't think him capable of based on how he dressed. Standing from his desk, he gave a gruff "Stay here," before leaving.

An hour passed slowly with me glancing at my watch a number of times. I hoped that everyone was doing well in the prison. Reaching into my pack, I withdrew a bar of chocolate and took a bite right before Dio reappeared, a sheepish smile on his face.

"I received confirmation on your description from other victims and a suspect was identified who is currently in the prison. Coates confirmed that he disappears from time to time." Dio went silent for a moment before continuing. "He sent your allies to defeat this man before he would even talk to them."

"Let me guess, you can't just let them out of prison?"

"No, the rules as they stand are that in order to get a release, one of them will need to compete in a chocobo race and win."

"Am I free to go then?" I asked as I stood from the chair.

"Yes, but where are you going?"

"To the chocobo races, we'll need a manager I'm willing to bet and a chocobo. I'm in the best position to organize those."

Dio grinned as he stood from his desk. "If you'll allow me, I can introduce you to the best."

_**With AVALANCHE**_

Well, Cloud for one wasn't sure how much more craziness he could take in one day. They had found out about Barret's hometown, been forcibly joined by a new ally, tossed into prison for a crime they didn't commit, found one of his friends was missing, followed Barret as he went to face an old friend, and now found out that in order to get freedom from prison he was going to have to compete in a Chocobo Race and when!

"You'll need a manager… and to register… and a chocobo." Coates rambled off a list of things they needed before they could even get to

"Hello, I happened to hear your story." A new voice drew the attention of him, Barret, and Tifa. In the doorway was a rather funny-looking woman in a pink dress with a large yellow bow. She wore pale face powder, heavy eyeliner and mascara, red lipstick, and lots of blush.

"Ester?" Coates asked as the woman walked in followed by a figure clad in scrubs that immediately brought relief to the AVALANCHE members.

"Rachas!" Tifa rushed over and hugged their friend.

"I'll be their manager," the woman, Ester apparently, told Coates.

"Well I have nothing against it but... never mind. This is Ester, she may look funny, but there's no better manager in the races."

_**Normal**_

I barely bit back a laugh as I allowed Tifa to drag me out of the hut that served as Coates's prison HQ. Ester was looking particularly ruffled over the man's comment over her appearance.

We were joined moments later by Barret and Cloud who led Ester and me to the hut that they had claimed along with the rest of AVALANCHE.

"Where did you get the scrubs? Was this another version of what you pulled at the Shinra building?" Tifa asked as she pulled open the door to the hut.

Before I could answer her I was grabbed up by an enthusiastic Zack who was joined in hugging me by Aeris while Kunsel shouted his welcome, Yuffie bounced up from the couch, and Red also called out. Questions came from every direction as everyone tried to find out where I had been all this time.

"Easy easy!" I finally managed to shout over everyone after Zack had set me back on my feet. "Tifa asked a question first! And to answer that question, I got the scrubs while assisting the doctors treating the wounded in the attack we were blamed for. Is it true you guys found the real culprit?"

"Sure did! Barret, Cloud, and Tifa went out to confront him," Zack responded.

"No fair! You didn't go to prison!" Yuffie shouted

"You're a medic too?" Kunsel asked bluntly.

"I have some basic medical training," I responded. "But mostly I cast cures on the survivors after the doctors and nurses removed the bullets."

"So, you're the one who got Ester here to agree to help us?"

"She was more than willing to help," I informed them as Ester smiled from the doorway.

"Why didn't you just enter a race straight away?" Cloud asked.

"The rules require that one of the people in jail be the one to race," Ester informed him. "If we were to get two chocobos then she could enter to increase your likelihood for release, but I can only lend out one at a time."

"Isn't someone going to introduce me?" A voice that sounded definitively Scottish called out from behind the crowd.

"Oh, sorry." Zack stepped aside to allow a cat riding a giant Mog to enter my view. "Rachas this is Caith Sith, Cait Sith- Rachas."

"Pleasure to meet cha lassie!" Cait declared as he extended a paw.

"Pleasure's all mine!" I responded with a smile then decided to mess around a bit. Grabbing up the robot in a hug, I declared "He's so cute!"

The various members laughed or smiled at my declaration before Ester told us it was time to go. I set the robot down on his mog gently and turned to follow Ester to the elevators.

Cloud, Ester, and I were followed to the elevators by everyone who asked various questions to the woman.

"Isn't there any way to get that extra chocobo?" Kunsel asked before we entered the overhang that led to the walkway to the elevator.

"Only if someone agrees no-"

"WARK!"

Everyone stopped moving for a moment when we heard that noise. Then Barret and Zack adopted identical grins as all heads turned towards a yellow blur that was rushing our party. The blur charged straight at the group, causing everyone to scatter before coming to a screeching stop in front of Cloud, Ester, and me.

It was definitely a chocobo and it was wearing an old pair of shoes around its neck. My old shoes. The scar on its neck confirmed something else for me.

"Jerk Chicken?"

"What?"

"Jerk?"

"That thing?"

"Jerk Chicken?" A confused Ester asked, and she sounded mildly disapproving.

"How do ya know?" Barret asked.

I pointed at the scar on the chocobo's neck even as he started attempting to groom my hair again. "This is the scar that was left after I healed him from the Zolom's Beta attack."

"Sure enough."

"A Zolom?" Now Ester just sounded interested. She walked around the chocobo, checking its legs and talons, the structure of its muscles, neck, even the beak was inspected. "This is an excellent chocobo," she finally stated as she finished the analysis. "Perfect for the races."

"We caught him near the Chocobo Farm near Kalm; I didn't think there were many good chocobo there." I turned my eyes back to Jerk, confused myself now.

"Many breeders will release chocobo with attitude problems that make them bad racers, that place is convenient." Ester informed me. "Oh, and this chocobo is a girl."

"Sorry I called you Jerk Chicken," I told the chocobo.

"Quite possibly she'll only let you ride her," Ester continued as she laid a hand on Jerk Chicken's back. Jerk reared instantly, flapping her stubby wings and knocking Ester into Cloud, who caught the woman easily. "Jerk Chicken indeed."

"So, Rachas can ride this chocobo in the race then?" Kunsel cut in.

"Yes, and probably do quite well," Ester told him as she daintily dusted herself off.

"Good luck to you both!" Tifa called out and then the three of us plus Jerk were being pushed into the elevator.

"Remember we're countin on ya!" Barret shouted as the doors began to close.

"Don't mess up!" Yuffie yelled.

"See you soon!" Aeris's promise was the last one we heard before the doors closed and the elevator began to ascend.

Beside me Jerk was continuing to groom my hair despite it still being in my ever constant ponytail while Ester gave us instructions for the race. I will admit I mostly tuned her out as I reached into my bag for another bar of chocolate. It was only about 7pm, but I was exhausted and it looked like I was being pressed into the race as well. Now I think I know how Cloud feels.

"So who do we have to race? Other people who want out of prison?"

"Nope, there are many types of Chocobo jockeys, not just criminals." Cloud groaned at the news and I couldn't blame him. "Some people compete for fame; some people do it for money, some for glory. Then there are the people like you."

As we exited the elevator into the Chocobo jockey lounge, Jerk Chicken following me closely. She had finally stopped trying to groom my hair and had set her head on my shoulder which I in turn was gently patting and scratching. I swear to you that bird was purring.

There were four jockeys sitting at the table playing what looked like a card game plus one standing next to what appeared to be a mini-bar. After a moment the jockey at the bar approached us.

"You two new?" he asked.

"Hey Joe." Ester greeted.

"Well hey Ester, looking pretty as usual."

Ester for her part blushed faintly and smiled at the jockey. "This is Joe guys, one of our top jockeys."

"Nice to meet you," He said tipping his hat to both Cloud and me. "If you're with Ester then..."

"Yep, Cloud here is an up and coming jockey, only been down there a day and he's and already here. Rachas here also helped to set this up and here she is with her own chocobo."

"What? I see. SO, what did you do down there? Wait, never mind, not supposed to ask about the past here... but that's pretty interesting. I have a feeling we'll meet again." His attention then turned to Jerk Chicken who I was attempting to remove the old sneakers from. He reached out a hand, probably to help, and Jerk snapped at him. Yanking his hand back with a grin he remarked, "That is one spirited bird. She should make an awesome racer." Joe then turned and left.

"I'm going to go prep Cloud's chocobo," Ester announced as she stepped away from us. "Rachas, you will want to get Jerk Chicken into her starting stall. I'll be back to show you what to do in a moment."

"Ok," I called after Ester as I finally disentangled the shoes from Jerk Chicken. I disposed of the shoes in another trash basket and walked Jerk around the room, picking up the materia from the bed of hay in one of the stalls. Cloud fell in on Jerk's other side, as we walked.

"Nervous?"

"Definitely, and trying to stay awake."

"Will you be ready?"

"I think the better question is if Jerk will be ready."

Cloud seemed to understand what I meant immediately. "I could take this chocobo and let you use the one Ester provides."

"Our best bet will be you on that bird Cloud."

The horn sounded a moment later and the four jockeys at the table rose to their feet and began to trek towards the exit Ester had taken.

"Rachas," Ester called from the door. "We need to get your chocobo into the stall. Cloud, yours is ready for you."

As we headed for the door to the track, Cloud said "May the best racer win."

"We'll be giving it our best shot!" I assured him as I gave Jerk's head a one armed hug, earning a happy sounding "Wark!" from the bird. Minutes later as I sat on Jerk's back at the starting line, I wondered what the hell I'd gotten myself into.


	21. Chapter 21

Saria: Alright, at this rate we'll be in California by Monday!

Tori: You're hoping to have this posted before then, right?

Saria: Yep!

SA: She'll need to; updates will only be once a week from now on. At best.

Zas: Well, new job, new people, new cons, this is going to be fun!

zzzzzzzzzz

There are six chocobos total that run each race. With both Cloud and me riding for the freedom of our friends, our odds of victory were significantly better.

As I sat on Jerk's back at the starting line waiting for the starting shot, I really couldn't help but wonder just what kind of set up I'd been placed in. Jerk wasn't a trained racer, for all I knew she could panic at the sound of the shot and run wild!

Before I could dwell too far into the notion though, the shot signaling the start of the race rang out. I was pleasantly surprised that Jerk Chicken didn't squawk and run around randomly but actually took off down the track, keeping a very good pace despite the fact two chocobos surged ahead almost instantly in sprints.

"Just keep it even girl, I'll tell you when we're close," I murmured as we began the trek up the spiral ramp. The two chocobos that started sprinting early fell back rapidly as we reached the top, but Cloud and the two other chocobos were still in the race.

The status quo was constant until we reached the part of the course that was the downward slope to the wooden bridge right before the space-like area. One of the other riders urged his chocobo into a sprint. Jerk Chicken almost followed, but I held her back just short of sprinting. And just as I suspected the bird tired halfway through the room, right as I nodded to Cloud and we both let our birds go into a sprint.

The last chocobo other than us was also sprinting but surprisingly enough the professional bird was not keeping pace and fell back also.

Cloud and I crossed the finish line in that order and rather than stopping, Jerk Chicken kept running, as did Cloud's bird. It took me a moment to realize that both birds were still competing despite the race being over and I laughed as I glanced over at Cloud who still looked quite confused. The birds ran the track a halfway through a second time before finally stopping, mainly because Cloud's finally collapsed and Jerk Chicken did as well several paces beyond it.

"That is a determined chocobo," Ester stated when we finally made it back to the lounge followed by jockeys that were laughing too hard to be mad that they lost a race. "And congratulations, you and your friends are home-free!"

"You can say that again," I replied as Jerk was wheeled in by several of the men who worked the track. She had done an excellent job and I wasn't sour about second place in the least since Cloud had won. "Do you think you could allow her to stay here? I don't have a place for her at the moment, but I will organize something when I can."

Ester laughed at my request, I think in some way she was pleased that I had asked. "Teioh was looking for a friend for his chocobo since he is always staying here. We can put them in together tonight and see how they do. Also, Dio asked me to give you this." She handed Cloud a letter which he read aloud.

_Boy, if you're reading this letter, then you must have won, and won a victory I'm sure you earned. I heard about Dyne from Ester. Now that you are victorious, you and your friends will receive a full pardon, and you will all be set free. By way of apology to your friends, and as payment for the aid afforded to us by your other friend, I have arranged a gift that should assist you in your travels as well as replacement supplies for what was used to help us. You will also find that arrangements have been made for you all to stay in the Ghost Hotel for tonight. Sorry I couldn't tell you this in person, I am a very busy man._

_Sincerely, Dio_

Cloud's PHS went off at that moment and he pulled it out quickly. "Hello?"

"Cloud? It's Tifa!" Tifa must have been shouting because I heard her clearly.

"Tifa! Are you guys alright? We won the race so you guys should have been released!"

"We're already back in the park! They escorted us to the Ghost Hotel and said we would be staying here tonight."

"Yeah, we just received a note from Dio saying that he's arranged for us to stay there tonight. We'll be heading over now. See you soon." Cloud hung up then.

After bidding farewell to Ester and promising that we would be back, the two of us made our way to the transport tubes in front of the Chocobo tracks and walked into the one labeled for the hotel. The trip there was fast and after mere moments we were launched into the yard of the spook hotel.

Exhaustion from the day was finally catching up to me, of that I was certain as we trekked to the hotel. My vision was swimming a bit, my eyelids felt like they were filled with sand, and when we entered the hotel all I could offer anyone was a bit of a weak smile before turning to the stairs, fully intending to find my room and sleep out the night. I was stopped by Kunsel who pressed a granola bar into my hand, already opened, and ordered me to eat. Thankfully no one else seemed to notice as Cloud was regaling them about the race and how Ester had given him a really good bird.

I finished the bar fast and turned back to the stairs, jumping a bit when the hanging butler dropped down and told me that he would guide me to our rooms.

Once inside, I didn't bother with changing into pajamas or removing equipment. I just toed off my shoes and crawled into the nearest bed available and was out like a light inside of a minute later.

My sleep was far from peaceful that night as nightmares echoed through my head. Of Hojo and the Shinra labs, of the events of today, of screaming voices. At one point I sat up, certain that I'd be back in either the crash-pad or hotel room I should be staying in on Earth and instead saw Tifa and Yuffie come through the door of the room.

"Sorry we woke you," Tifa whispered as she walked to one of the other beds in the room and Yuffie jumped into a roll away bed. Apparently this was the girl's room and I had missed Aeris coming in altogether.

Lying back down, I was asleep again surprisingly fast, but nightmares came again. I dreamt of standing and being mowed down by Dyne's gun, of the bloody, twisted bodies of the slain… and the last time I saw my grandpa.

I woke up again at some point in the early morning and couldn't bring myself to even try to fall asleep again. Pulling myself from the soft bed and grabbing my pack, I changed into regular clothes and set out to return the scrubs. Another door opened as I passed it and I was faintly surprised to see Cait Sith looking out at me.

"Where you be off to lassie?" Cait asked when I paused to look at him.

"Just returning these," I indicated the scrubs I held as I began to walk again.

"At 5:49 in the morning?" This voice belonged to Zack who appeared in the doorway behind Cait Sith. Zack sighed when he saw my face; I guess I was showing a bit of stress. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No." I continued to walk towards the stairs and heard the soft thump of a door. Certain that they had turned back in, I was surprised when Zack appeared to one side of me moments later.

"Is what happened yesterday bothering you?"

I felt the sick feeling return as thoughts of yesterday and the nightmares returned. "I… The people… And…" I couldn't think at the moment, and thinking was one of the things I prided myself on. Yet the sight of those people yesterday, feeling their hurt, their desperation, and now…

"Seeing people get hurt or killed is a sad thing, and your first time is always the worst-"

"That wasn't the first time," I snapped at Zack as we descended the stairs, Cait Sith hopping along behind us.

Silence reigned for a moment between us.

"I'm sorry." Both Zack and I apologized at the same time. Glancing at one another, it seemed we both came to the conclusion of dropping the subject for the moment.

"So, after dropping off those scrubs, get back here so we can determine what we should do about breakfast." Zack had stopped by the doors to the outside, apparently intending to wait here.

"Ok, see you." I stepped out and was surprised when Cait Sith followed.

"Can't have a lady walkin about on her own!" The cat seemed to smile at me in a fashion that I thought of as heartwarming. It seemed so hard to believe that this little guy was actually a spy, though he would turn out to be a valuable member in the future.

"Cute," I stated with a smile as we approached the transport tubes.

_**With Zack and AVALANCHE**_

Footfalls on the stairs drew Zack's attention right after Rachas had left and he turned to see Barret and Kunsel walking down the stairs.

"How long have you guys been there?"

"Long enough to hear her snap at you," Kunsel replied, his glowing eyes turning from Zack to the closed door. "She's seen something terrible before, and yesterday seems to have opened a wound or two."

"I realized that, but I'm not sure what."

"Ain't nobody's business if she won't say, but back in Sect'r Seven she said Shinra blew up Banora."

Zack froze at Barret's comment as memories of wanting to talk to Rachas came rushing back, the urge somehow being labeled as unimportant. Since when had he decided something like that? Then Barret's words fully hit him. "Wait, she already knew?"

Kunsel spoke up again. "That could explain some things."

_**Shinra**_

Reeve was finishing the last details on a more permanent plan on how to house and feed the survivors of Sector 7 when he received the tone on his computer indicating that Cait Sith had either had new information or located another of the targets in AVALANCE. Since he had encountered all members except the blond Ancient yesterday that must mean that he had finally met her.

The young executive quickly brought up the video and audio feed being sent by his creation, intent to give Rufus a more thorough report on these terrorists.

The image was a bit grainy because they were in motion, but Cait was definitely following a darkly clad young woman.

"Hey Cait, how did you get recruited?" a woman's voice asked.

"Gave a fortune to young Cloud, a weird one like I've never had before. I intend to see what it means."

The Ancient smiled at Cait. "A fortune teller? That's a bit different."

"You mind telling me your name again lassie?"

"Rachas Kaze," the girl wasn't smiling now as she led Cait through a set of doors into what appeared to be a medical center. A moment later as the woman was talking to a nurse the transmission cut off.

Confused on why this AVALANCHE member would be talking to a nurse, Reeve pulled up the report Cait had sent. Ah, so this one had assisted the medics in treating the wounded yesterday, a bit strange for a terrorist.

Pressing a few buttons to update the report to include both the names Rachas Kaze and Yuffie Kisaragi, the newest member of AVALANCHE, Reeve turned his attention back to his more immediate challenge: a report to either convince Rufus to overturn his father's decision to not rebuild Sector 7 or to consider expanding the city.

_**Normal**_

When Cait and I returned to the hotel, I was pleased to see that just about everyone was up despite the fact it was barely past 6am. It was also great that the hotel offered breakfast starting at that hour.

Our group of ten grabbed three tables in the dining room and served ourselves various breakfast foods. There was French toast, waffles, fruit, sausage and bacon, biscuits, juices, milk, cereal, and just about every breakfast food that we had been missing for the last couple weeks.

After breakfast a set of guards escorted us to an elevator and took us down to ground level where Dio's gift was waiting for us: the big red buggy.

The buggy was HUGE, as in small bus huge; we would all fit in there easily! It was also an automatic, so I would be able to drive!

Everyone except Yuffie grinned at the notion of not having to walk anymore and we moved to the back to store our packs only to discover that the cargo area was already half filled with bandages, food, water, and at the top of the stack were several Life-time passes to Gold Saucer, one for each of the nine of us that originally came. Looks like when we came back we'd have to pay for Cait, Vincent, and Cid.

Everyone piled into the buggy, my offer to drive first being shot down by Zack jumping behind the wheel immediately. The rest of us seated ourselves in the buggy with the exception of Yuffie who insisted on taking the guard position on the roof. No one argued since most of us remembered the ride just to get to Gold Saucer had her gagging and vomiting.

"So, anyone know which way we're heading?"

"Gongaga," Cloud called out as he pulled out Dio's letter.

Zack, who was currently behind the wheel, turned immediately to stare at Cloud. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Dio wrote that he saw a figure like how we described Sephiroth heading in to the South-east towards Gongaga."

The buggy leapt forward at a speed I never thought such a bulky vehicle could ever reach, bumping over the rough terrain, throwing everyone except Zack into the roof and walls of the vehicle. Through an open window Yuffie could be heard as she yelled, gagged, and made other absolutely wondrous sounds.

"Zack! Slow down! You're going to make me sick!" Kunsel yelled as Aeris bounced into him.

"Man, what's wrong?" Barret shouted as Cait's Mog bumped into his side, I had already grabbed the cat robot and held him even as I bounced off my seat and onto the floor.

"WHOO-HOO! FASTER!" I shouted, thoroughly excited as my adrenaline junkie tendencies were finally able to rear their head after weeks of being cut-off.

"Don't encourage him!" Tifa yelled. "Jessie told me you have an education in Engineering, just think of what this is doing to our new buggy!"

"Fine!" I responded, pushing Cait into the seat beside me. "Zack, you're going to break this hunk of metal and never get to Gonga-UF!" I was cut off when a howling Red got tossed on me by a particularly bad bump.

Cloud and Kunsel both tried to crawl to the front of the vehicle then, using seats and windows to aid their progress. When they got there, both grabbed at the wheel but Zack didn't back down quietly.

"My parents are in Gongaga!" he shouted as he tried to wrest Cloud's and Kunsel's hands off of him. "We have to get there!"

"We will but not if you break this thing!" Cloud shouted as he finally pulled Zack's hands from the wheel. Kunsel got a handle on the former First's legs then and they lifted him away from the controls, allowing the buggy to come to a rolling stop.

"We gotta keep moving!" Zack insisted, his eyes wild.

"We will!" Aeris told him firmly as she tried to help him calm down while Kunsel set himself behind the vehicle controls. "You have to calm down."

"Sephiroth's on foot," Red reasoned as he limped to an open seat, having gotten off of me as soon as the vehicle had stopped. "We will easily catch or overtake him so long as we don't panic and break the buggy."

"You don't understand, Sephiroth doesn't need any transportation, I've seen him move!"

"He hasn't killed civilians," Cloud stated only for Zack to ignore him.

"YET!" Zack yelled, looking ready to jump out of the window and run to Gongaga.

"You're not safe to drive…" I stated loudly as I climbed into my seat, earning a look from Zack.

"Why do you say that?"

"Pilots have a basic system to know if they're safe to go or not, the acronym is IMSAFE." I explained as Kunsel started the engine and began to drive the buggy. I pulled Cait into my lap and started to scratch his ears before continuing. "That stands for Illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, and emotion. You're very emotional right now; you wouldn't be able to focus on driving."

Zack glared at me for my comment, which was the first time I had ever seen him do something like that. "At least I'm emotional about my family being in danger. You didn't even bother to let me know when I tried to talk to you about Banora that you already knew Shinra had destroyed it."

Various people around the buggy drew in breaths; I even heard Yuffie gasp as her head appeared in a window on the other side of the buggy.

"Come again?" Cait Sith jumped up looking honestly surprised.

"Rachas, did your home really get destroyed by Shinra?" Tifa asked, staring at me intently.

I drew in a breath, prepared to tell a mix of lie and truth. "Banora was destroyed by Shinra over five years ago. I wasn't there when it happened so I survived." Alright, truth managed thus far, I hadn't been in Banora. My promise to the Goddess was still intact.

"What about your family?" Aeris was staring at me also, her eyes filled with compassion.

"I don't want to talk about them."

Zack narrowed his eyes at my comment while everyone else moved back slightly, indicating that they were willing to drop the subject. "How did you know?" he demanded.

"The planet probably told her," Aeris told him gently.

Zack glanced at her then me and seemed to think back. "When I tried to talk to you before, you said you were confirming something. Was that it?"

"Yeah," I replied as I hugged Cait Sith before gently setting him back onto the seat.

Zack seemed to calm down a bit then as he sat back with Aeris. "What happened to your family?" He demanded after a moment.

"Zack! That's insensitive!"

"She can talk about her friends and grandpa, why not the rest?"

"I said I didn't want to talk about them." I was starting to raise my voice, angry that Zack was pressing this issue.

"Well why not? Too painful that they're all dead? Barret's family is all dead and he was able to come clean!"

"This isn't the same!"

"I'm with Rachas on this, yur pushin too much!" Barret came to my aid.

"My parents might be in danger and I react normally! Hers aren't around and she's indifferent! Even her friends and grandpa! Almost like she's glad-"

I lashed out then, striking Zack as hard as I could across the cheek. "Think what you want about me, but never and I mean NEVER, assume I'm glad that my grandpa is dead!"

The conversation didn't start again. Everyone seemed thoughtful for a while before Zack made another announcement.

"I don't want to stop until I know they're safe."

"Then we can drive in shifts," Tifa stated as she settled back in her seat.

"When will we get there?"

"Tomorrow." This time Cloud was the one to respond as he glanced at a map.

The rest of the day was a long and quiet one where we switched drivers every so often and almost everyone napped for a certain amount of time. I crawled into a seat by myself and had pulled out Jedi Healer. I tried to read for a while then shoved it back into my pack before dozing, and then the nightmares were back, plaguing my mind.

Jerking awake, I began to meditate, determined to clear my mind of those images. I pushed deeper and deeper, finally entering the meeting grounds for the Cetra and relaxing as the green embrace of the Lifestream flowed over me. It was terribly confusing, I had no regrets over helping those people yesterday, but I couldn't stop thinking about how the entire situation had felt like.

"_You're troubled."_ For once I almost welcomed the voice that floated to me over the currents of the Lifestream. _"What makes you so upset about what happened?"_

I thought for a moment, trying to find the right answer. The conclusion startled me. "Because I felt possessed."

"_Meaning?"_

"Meaning that I didn't feel myself at all and with all of those people screaming and… and… broadcasting their fear and pain…" I felt my eyes widen as I realized another reason why I had snapped while under fire. "I wanted them all to stop… so they'd stop crushing me."

"_Your own survival by insuring their survival."_ The Goddess's voice held understanding.

I dropped my head, ashamed to realize this was a fact. I had been prepared to allow those people to die, to just ignore the situation until my Jedi senses had made me experience what those people would go through. The pain, fear, and desperation that were much like what I felt when my grandpa had died. I had stepped in to stop my having to experience that.

"My nightmares, I feel guilty right now. I stopped Dyne not wholly for their sake."

"_But you did. You could have blocked their cries out with some effort and instead you did something."_

For some reason I didn't believe her when she said I could have blocked out those people.

Around me once again the Lifestream seemed to form an embrace which I tried to shrug off. Light laughter followed my actions as I shifted and shrugged, almost as though I were trying to toss off a pair of arms.

"_Would you at least refer to me as Minerva rather than Gaia or Goddess?"_ Her voice asked even as the embrace dissipated and I felt myself drift back to my body.

Opening my eyes again to the sight of the buggy, I saw that most of the day had passed. At some point Yuffie had crawled in from the roof and was currently keeping her head out of a convenient window. In the west the sun was beginning to set and we were quickly approaching a river.

"You calmed down?" Barret asked as he handed me a bottle of water and a bag of some sort of food, I didn't care to check what it was right then.

"Fine." I kept my face neutral and voice impassive. Though I was still a bit angry, Zack was upset when we argued.

"Shouldn't fight, there ain't no room for that here." Barret moved away to sit on another seat then.

Cloud was driving at that moment and I traded between watching the stars come out and the river as we first approached then crossed it. Several hours later I volunteered to drive only to be told to relax as Barret took the wheel. By then full darkness had fallen and the stars blazed brightly in the sky.

"Rachas." Glancing over I saw Aeris had moved to sit next to me. "Don't hold a grudge against Zack for what he said today. He's just very stressed right now."

"I think we both are. He should calm down after seeing his parents." Aeris nodded and squeezed my hand before leaning back and closing her eyes.

The nightmares came again that night, but they seemed more muted than earlier that day and though I woke several times I was able to fall asleep again.

The next morning dawned grey and promised to quickly become a very hot one. The buggy was no longer bouncing over rocky ground; instead it seemed to skim over the sand of the desert that surrounded Gongaga. At about 9am the jungle oasis of Gongaga finally came into view.


	22. Chapter 22

Saria: (singing) I left my heart in San Francisco!

Tori: High on a hill, it calls to me!

Zas: (groans) They've been singing this since Death Valley!

SA: Do you want them to start with "Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" again?

Saria: Great suggestion SA!

I don't own .Hack/Sign or any of the number of great songs that are used in the series.

zzzzzzzzzz

Just as one might expect, Zack didn't even wait for the buggy to stop before he jumped out a window and took off into the jungle.

"Zack, wait up!" Cloud yelled after him.

"Leave the man be, checkin on his folks." Barret stepped off the bus after Cloud and stretched.

Kunsel jumped out next as Yuffie also jumped off of the roof. "I don't think he should go alone," the former SOLDIER stated as he offered a hand to Aeris as she disembarked. "Let's not forget that this is Zack's hometown."

"So, why be so cautious about letting him catch up with them?" Tifa stretched, arms behind her back in the typical game pose.

"If Shinra were to set a trap for us, this would the obvious place," Red told her as he jumped out, followed by Cait Sith and finally me.

"Exactly," Kunsel stated as he situated his sword in his holster.

"I'll go after him," Cloud as situated his sword on his back.

"I shall accompany you." Red paced over to Cloud.

Aeris also volunteered and the three trekked to the jungle path that Zack had disappeared on.

Yuffie was gagging by the trees, obviously still trying to recover from her bout of motion sickness and the five of us that were healthy mingled around the buggy for a few minutes until Kunsel noticed something that Zack apparently hadn't.

"He forgot his sword!" Kunsel stated as he dragged the large sword from the buggy.

"He can learn responsibility." I was still a bit sour from yesterday.

"If Shinra, especially the Turks are here then he'll need this." Kunsel turned towards the jungle.

"You can't be thinking of going in there alone!" Tifa declared.

"I'm not." He glanced at everyone then, taking into account our weapons then reached out and grabbed my arm. "You come with me and Tifa's in charge."

As Kunsel dragged me down the path, I fought angrily. "What? I don't want to go in there! Let the porcupine come back for his sword!"

Kunsel ignored my protests as he dragged me onto the jungle path. After a few moments I stopped resisting and sullenly followed.

"What Zack said yesterday was wrong, but you need to let it go." Kunsel's sudden statement surprised me. "We're all in this together and if you let this ruin your ability to work with Zack then we've got some problems."

"I'm not so mad anymore, I know he's stressed!" We were now well along the path into the jungle. We should be encountering the Turks any moment now…

We turned another corner in the path and there, sitting by a log, was Zack, Cloud, Aeris, and Red. Elena stood between our two groups and just beyond them, not even noticing us yet, were Reno and Rude.

"They always talk about who they like or don't like. But Tseng is different."

"Professional at all times?" I called out.

Elena abruptly went very stiff then slowly turned around to face Kunsel and me. Her anxiety was palpable; I didn't need to feel for it at all.

"Hi!" I called cheerfully. "So, gonna talk more about Tseng and various aspects of him you like?"

Elena squeaked loudly the turned heel and ran to her fellow Turks.

"Squeezable… Tseng… butt!" Elena grabbed Rude's arm, tugging on it as she tried to pass along her message.

"I thought she was cured, yo!" Reno sounded beyond exasperated. "Is she gonna set another new record for Turk drinking?"

"They're here!" Elena finally managed to shout. "Report butt Tseng!" She ran down the path that I realized led to the bombed reactor.

Everyone watched her departure, Reno and Rude sporting very visible sweatdrops while Zack, Aeris, Kunsel, and I all showed amusement.

"Um… yeah. Rude, don't go easy on them even though they're girls, yo." Reno lazily walked around Rude then, taking the fore position before us. "Payback time for what you did in Sector 7."

Zack seemed confused. "For trying to save people?"

"And succeeding?" I added.

Reno glared at both of us, his gaze lingering on me for some reason or another. "I don't like being taken for a fool, yo."

"That's as far as you go." Rude was as stoic as ever.

Reno started the fight then by throwing a fireball aimed at Red. Red easily dodged while Zack launched himself at Rude.

Shoving my hand into my pack, I rummaged around a bit and found the Choco/Mog materia and temporarily slotted it into my tantō then cast the spell. The magic didn't cause too much of a drain anymore, it was almost scary how easy magic was getting. AVALANCHE didn't need to dodge the Chocobo that appeared with the little Mog. It seemed to leap from behind us and ran headlong into Rude then faded.

Rude was stunned for a moment before he leapt back into action, aiming first for Kunsel who couldn't move too well while still weighed down by Zack's sword. Rude clipped him hard in the head even as Cloud as rushed to try to engage the Turk.

Glancing over I saw that Reno was being fought by Red and an unarmed Zack with Aeris backing them up, so I turned my attention back to the over-armed Kunsel and quickly cast a cure on him while Cloud fought the Turk. Kunsel shook his head as he stood, right as Cloud flew past us. Determined not to be caught unaware again, I drew my tantō.

Rude approached then, his pace at barely faster than a trot. Obviously though his strength more than compensated for his lack of speed though since when his fist lashed out at Kunsel again, the SOLDIER was sent flying when he attempted to block it with his sword.

When Rude's follow up was aimed at me, I didn't even attempt to block, I dodged while summoning the power to aid me. Rude's movements slowed considerably and I had no problem dodging after the first strike, but my technique didn't speed me up like it had previously so Rude still seemed to move at ¾ speed. Lashing out with one tantō, I dug the blade into the flesh of his arm.

Pain makes people move faster, and with the Jedi skill backing me up, I was complacent. Rude lashed out much faster than previously and easily knocked my hand away, my tantō flying somewhere into the surrounding foliage. My hold on the power was shattered by the stinging blow and everything returned to normal speed.

Cloud re-engaged before Rude could strike at me again. Jumping back and watching Cloud and Rude go back and forth; I focused on my ice spell and aimed for the dirt right behind Rude's feet, creating a slick patch of ice. Neither combatant seemed to notice what I had done until after one vicious swipe from Cloud, Rude dodged around the blade causing the two to almost completely trade positions.

"Look out!" I shouted even as Cloud stepped back onto the ice, slipping to one knee.

Rude took advantage of the position immediately, throwing a hard punch directed at Cloud's head. Cloud couldn't dodge this time; he had no choice but to try to block it with his weapon. I reached out with the power and pulled him back right as Rude's fist hit the weapon and to the extreme dismay of all watching, the weapon broke, the blade snapping almost perfectly in half. Cloud was uninjured but clearly in shock.

Kunsel and I both re-engaged then, me with a fire spell and Kunsel with his own blade, having dropped Zack's Buster Sword.

Glancing over I saw that Zack was sporting several burns, Red was limping a bit, and Aeris was throwing a lightning spell at a rather bruised looking Reno.

Turning back to our opponent, Kunsel was trying to shove Rude away from Cloud. Palming my remaining tantō in my right hand, I ran to back Kunsel up, weaving around him to inflict nicks on Rude's arms as he tried to dodge or counterattack Kunsel's sword strikes.

Luck and skill allowed Rude to eventually catch my knife arm and he twisted hard, forcing me to drop my blade before Kunsel was able to rip me away from him. Once again, Rude seized an opportunity that presented itself and slammed his fist into Kunsel's shoulder as he dragged me back.

Kunsel winced as he was thrown back several paces and I was left in front of Rude while unarmed.

Rude grabbed at my arm and I jumped back, hoping for either Cloud or Kunsel to interfere, but Kunsel was still recovering and Cloud seemed to have disappeared. Rude's second swipe was farther and he managed to catch my sleeve.

"Since you're an Ancient, I won't be eliminating you. The company may want you again in the future," Rude stated as he dragged me closer.

I didn't care at that moment what he was or wasn't going to do, I just wanted him to let go. "Get off!" I snarled as I called the power and shoved my hand into his chest, unleashing a Jedi Push that propelled him backwards and ripped the sleeve of my shirt straight off.

Rushing forward, grabbing my tantō as I did, I slashed at the Turk and opened another deep cut into his arm. Rude countered by sending his other arm sweeping at my legs, throwing me off my feet.

I barely rolled out of the way of Rude's next attack, then Cloud was there, armed with the Buster Sword! The blond swordsman heaved the blade, obviously not used to the weight, in a downward arc before him that Rude barely dodged, pushing back along the path. He was met by Reno near the path Elena had taken.

"We may be retreating but we're still victorious," Reno declared before both he and Rude ran.

"How is retreating victorious?" Zack demanded then froze as though thinking of something. "My parents…" The dark haired man was up again, running down the last trail, the one the Turks hadn't taken.

"And there he goes AGAIN!" I yelled as I searched the bushes around where my first tantō had fallen.

"I'll follow him," Aeris stated as she raced down the path after him.

Red shook his head at the behavior. "I'll make sure they stay safe."

"We'll follow the Turks," Cloud informed Red as he tugged me out of the bushes where I still sought my weapon. "We need to see what they are up to."

"I need to get my tantō. It has a summon materia equipped!"

For the second time that day my protests were ignored as Cloud and Kunsel dragged me down the path towards the reactor, cutting down the few monsters we encountered on the way.

The debris surrounding the reactor was sharp, twisted, and rusty. I was vaguely reminded of pulling apart some of the twisted hulks of airplanes that had been smashed by a tornado.

"A ruined reactor…" Cloud murmured when we got close.

"Yeah, the Gongaga reactor was blown up by AVALANCHE some years ago." Kunsel glanced around the wreck while I wasted no time in running to what looked like a hatch and peering in. Spotting the materia immediately, I reached in and tried to wrench it out.

"You find something?" Cloud's question was mostly drowned out by the steady "thwump thwump thwump" of a helicopter.

All of us glanced towards the entrance to the heap and saw a blond woman in a red dress that left very little to the imagination appear. I abandoned my quest for the materia immediately.

"It's Scarlet, Head of Shinra Weapon Development." The three of us scattered, Cloud and Kunsel hiding behind various piles of scrap while I called the power and wove a net of disinterest around myself though I did take halfway cover behind a barrel.

Scarlet sauntered through the debris, disgust and arrogance apparent on her face. I will admit she is pretty; probably beautiful at one point, but her dress just screams "slut" and the amount of make-up smeared over her face makes me think if anyone were to touch it that you would see the indents of their fingers and fingerprints. In total, she looked like a middle aged woman who was trying to cling to the final vestiges of the beauty of her teens.

Tseng came into view next, and though his face was set in a mask of calm and impassiveness you could tell he was wishing he were either far from here or able to shoot the executive, if the slight twitching of his fingers were anything to go by.

Scarlet sashayed to the hatch I had been at just moments ago and peered in. "…Hmph! This isn't any good either. You only get junky materia from junky reactors."

I rolled my eyes, glad that Tseng hadn't stepped forward to look at the materia. Scarlet apparently can't recognize a summon materia, and though I know what she is after it seems stupid to leave one.

The red woman made a rather over-emphasized walk towards Tseng then, doing her best to show her already exposed legs and chest.

"This reactor's a failure. What I'm looking for is big, large, huge materia. You seen any?"

The Turk Director looked displeased that the woman had gotten closer to him. "…No I haven't seen it. I'll get on it right away."

Scarlet's demeanor seemed almost flirty. "Please. We could make the ultimate weapon if only we had some."

"I just can't wait." Tseng's voice was a deadpan.

Scarlet continued. "With Hojo gone, the Weapon Development's been getting a bigger budget."

"I envy them."

Scarlet seemed to realize then that Tseng wasn't being influenced at all by her. She frowned momentarily before her smile returned except that it held a bit of a sinistered twist to it. "But, even if we make the perfect weapon, could that stupid Heidegger even use it?" Tseng didn't react though his fingers twitched again. "Oh… sorry! I forgot that Heidegger is your boss! Ha ha ha!"

Tseng was not pleased, either by this woman or in his boss, which was apparent by the fact his hand actually gave a spasm and twitched toward his holster.

"Let's go!" Scarlet announced with a sneer as she led the way out of the reactor.

"Big, large, huge materia?" I heard Cloud wonder aloud after the two had left while I made a beeline to the materia.

"I think we'll all be more concerned about this "Ultimate weapon"," Kunsel stated.

Left a grunt (and a little help from a Jedi style pull), I finally freed the materia then handed it straight over to Cloud. "You keep it, I've a number of summons already," I told him when he raised an eyebrow at me.

Cloud shrugged then equipped the summon, tossing me a materia he had unequipped to make room. "It's Heal," he stated.

As we left the reactor we encountered what looked like a triceratops head mounted on a tank. The three of us spread out again, Kunsel taking the first strike while I threw an ice spell at the eyes of the beast.

Cloud had a bit of trouble at first with lifting the Buster sword, but he managed to bring it the bear and scored a heavy hit on the crazy contraption.

The tiny, dim eyes for the beast roved over us then seemed to zero in on me before it made a rush type of assault. Dodging hard, I got out of the way right as Kunsel leaped onto the back of the tank and delivered a hard strike right where the spine seemed it would be. The monster spasmed, a horn almost goring me before Cloud yanked me back further. The jerk from being grabbed caused me to lose my grip on my weapon and it clattered to the ground before me, right before that damned tank rolled forward.

The crunch of my remaining tantō finally caused me to reach boiling point again. The monster was doubtlessly dying, but I lashed out with a bolt of Sith lightning, drawing a pained roar from the beast. It shuddered several times under my assault before going still.

Reaching down, I grabbed the materia that had been equipped to my weapon and pocketed it. I also found 1300 gil on the beast and pocketed that as well.

"Looks like we both need new weapons," Cloud offered as we all walked away from the site.

"Yeah."

"I'm sure you'll find something in Gongaga." We had all reentered the jungle path by then and were quickly approaching the fork.

Red came running from the village then. "Zack's parents are alright and they want to meet us," he stated as he approached.

"That's great!" Kunsel grinned and took off towards the village while Red continued back to the buggy. Cloud took off towards the village right after Kunsel and not wanting to be left out, I followed.

The two SOLDIERS easily left me in the dust but I regrouped with Cloud right before entering the village, he had apparently seen another materia and had retrieved it.

Passing by a graveyard we found ourselves in Gongaga, a clear view of the destroyed reactor in the background. After a brief survey we saw Kunsel waving to us from the door of a hut and proceeded to the house.

"Guys! Great you made it! These are my parents!" Zack looked positively giddy as he stood between two people, both just starting to go grey.

"I'm Locke and this is my wife, Terra!" Zack's father introduced.

The home of Zack's parents was very simple, two bedrooms, the living room that doubled as a dining room, and a kitchen. There was one bathroom also but it didn't contain a shower.

Zack's parents were the doting sort, Terra going mother hen on everyone as they came in. She fussed over how dirty our clothes were, how we needed a good meal, and our various bruises were fussed over. It was hilarious the way this sweet looking woman had Barret completely cowed within a minute of him walking through the door.

Locke kept trying to get the story on how his son had met each of us then zeroed in on Aeris after finding out she was his girlfriend. He howled with laughter at the story of them meeting because Zack fell through her roof then seemed to get a bit angry upon finding out that they had technically been going out for over four years and had maybe two or three dates.

"What in the world happened? How are you this shy?" Locke demanded in a joking manner.

Zack's jaw tightened as everyone except Cloud, Aeris, and I leaned in, curious themselves.

"I think we should give you guys some privacy," Aeris softly commented, rising to her feet.

"Everyone, check your weapons and items and buy replacements if necessary." Cloud pushed Yuffie and Barret towards the door, Tifa, me, then Aeris following, and finally Cait Sith and Kunsel.

I walked with Cloud to the weapon shop, climbing to the second floor. We found a replica of the sword Cloud had been using, apparently it was a Hardedge and was common equipment for SOLDIER 3rd class. As we browsed through the store, I didn't find any good tantō, but I did purchase a second knife that would fit in the holster for one of my tantō. I separated from Cloud then and bought a Time materia before heading out of the village.

_**Shinra**_

Reeve had been surprised by the report he had gotten from Cait Sith. Every report he had on Fair indicated he was a nice guy and would not intentionally make remarks that would hurt someone, but what he had gathered on the Ancient named Rachas also indicated she wasn't someone who struck a friend easily. It was also surprising to find that she believed that Shinra was to blame for the destruction of her hometown and he noted Banora on her file.

Logging in and connecting to Cait Sith, he was surprised to find the group had indeed made it to Gongaga and appeared to have split up. The ninja was bouncing around followed closely by the one named Kunsel who slapped her hands away from things that she obviously intended to take. Cloud and Barret seemed to be looking out at the bombed reactor and were discussing something, the canine-like Red near them. Tifa and the Ancient named Aeris were walking together and also seemed to be engrossed in conversation. Cait Sith's memory log indicated that Zack Fair was talking to his parents… So where had the last Ancient gone?

Movement near the trail leaving the village caught his eye and he saw the woman departing. This could be an excellent opportunity to gather some information!

Directing the mechanical mog to follow the young woman, Reeve watched the forest pass by the sensors that acted as his eyes through Cait Sith.

"_If you are lost in your way, deep in an awesome story."_

The song was strange and haunting and it took a moment to realize it was the Ancient singing.

"_Don't be in doubt and stray, cling to your lonesome folly."_

The Ancient was approaching an intersection for several trails now where impressions in the sand indicated there had been a fight.

_Now you're too close to the pain, let all the rain go further. Come back and kiss me again, mother oh do not bother."_

She had stopped now in the intersection and was glancing around like she was trying to get a bearing.

"_Hear the chorus of pain, taking you back to proper ways. It's so easy to find if you could remind me."_

The woman pushed her way into a bush for a moment then stood again, one of her knives now in hand. She holstered it as she returned to the trail.

"_Now you are lost in your way__, __deep in an awesome story. So I will find you again, kiss you for lonesome folly."_

_**Normal**_

I breathed in deeply, singing always did help me calm down and I hadn't been doing much of it recently. Traveling like we were doing left little time to do things such as sing. And to add more good news I had found my tantō, using the Jedi levitation and pull to just bring it to me now that I was alone.

Turning back to the path back to Gongaga I was surprised to find Cait Sith standing there, watching me in a strange guarded way that the little cat hadn't done before… Ah-ha, Reeve must be in control.

"Hey Cait," I called as I trekked back towards the village. "Do you need something from the buggy?"

"No lass, just wondering why you left. There be all sorts of monsters in these parts." His accent was a little off, but if someone hadn't been looking for it they probably wouldn't have noticed.

"I dropped one of my blades earlier so I came back for it."

"Why not just buy a new one?"

"This one has been through a lot with me and I don't intend to discard it like that."

We walked in silence back towards the village then, both of us keeping a sharp eye out for danger since neither of us were the best of fighters.

No one reentered Zack's house for the rest of the afternoon. Though most of AVALANCHE didn't know what had happened to Zack and Cloud, everyone understood it was very painful and didn't want to intrude.

Cait Sith, aka Reeve, followed me around for about half an hour, chatting and asking seemingly innocent questions such as how I knew Banora was destroyed by Shinra and if Ancients were truly in touch with the planet. I answered where I could and stuck to my story as well as I could. He eventually moved on to speak with Red.

Evening was just beginning to set when Zack finally emerged and everyone was quick to swarm him, demanding to know what had happened.

"They've invited us all to dinner." Zack sounded relieved and almost happy.

Terra, as she insisted on being called, was quick to enlist the girls into helping her prepare the meal while Zack's father and a number of the men dragged out benches, chairs, and folding tables to the backyard.

One thing was soon certain: Yuffie + cooking = disaster. Terra first tried to start her on measuring out and mixing the ingredients for cookies but she somehow managed to cause the bag of flour to explode. Vegetable slicing was tried next but somehow or another, tomato ended up in everything, and it looked more minced or pulverized than sliced. Yuffie's final attempt to help was to simply watch the cookies in the oven and remove them when they looked done. I have never seen cookies that look half raw and half overcooked before but Yuffie somehow managed it.

Terra finally sent Yuffie out and reworked the entire menu to use everything and not waste the ingredients. Collecting the vegetables and some milk, she made stew that she thickened with some of the flour rescued from the counter while Aeris, Tifa, and myself made the cookies, bread, and pan-seared hamburgers.

Dinner that night was a fun affair involving Zack entertaining his parents with tales of his adventures up to this point with AVALANCHE and how we eventually ended up here. He really seemed to love the part about sneaking into Shinra to rescue Aeris and me from "the evil clutches of a mad scientist".

"Hojo was no scientist," I declared, interrupting Zack's tale. "He was an egotistical madman that they put in charge of the Science Department with all the mental maturity of a sadistic eight year old."

Zack blinked at me for a moment then grinned broadly. "I think he was more along the lines of a six year old."

"Nope, that's just you." I grinned in response to Zack's grin, the last vestiges of my anger at him finally fading even as Zack affected the "kicked puppy" look and started to ask everyone at the table if they agreed with me.

Soon enough the food was finished, dished cleared and cleaned, and the benches and chairs moved back into the house. A new problem presented itself at that point: where everyone was going to sleep. The house was far too small to fit us all and Zack was quick to insist that the girls take his room despite the fact that it was too small for the four of us. The final decision ended up being to have Tifa, Aeris, and me in the room, Yuffie shared the living room with Red and Cait Sith since Terra insisted that men and women didn't share sleeping quarters unless they were related or married. That left Barret, Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel unrolling their sleeping bags in the yard.

Terra and Locke were up at dawn the next morning right as everyone began to stir, Locke taking the opportunity to get his "SOLDIER strong" son to help him with various chores around the house, having him pull up stumps, chop wood, and clear junk from the village that had been leftover from the explosion of the reactor.

"Man, you'd think… he'd be happy… to finally see his only… son after so long." Zack puffed as he hauled a piece of scrap metal past the door towards a heap he had started at the edge of the village.

"I'm sure he's thrilled!" Kunsel called to him.

"No slouching Zack! You worry us for four years, so pay the price!" Locke was grinning broadly from the doorway.

Cloud finally took pity and began to assist Zack with the chores followed shortly by Kunsel. Tifa and I joined moments later while Aeris moved into the garden Terra kept and began to tend to the vegetables.

It was noon before we bid farewell the Fairs and departed Gongaga. As we piled into the buggy or in Yuffie's case, climbed onto the roof, Zack seemed to finally be relaxed and himself again. So much so that he grinned and bounced like a puppy when he got to sit next to Aeris.

I finally was given my turn to drive that day, and I was grinning like a loon myself as I slid behind the wheel for the first driving shift. Starting the buggy up, I followed Tifa's instructions and set a course heading west. We started slow but soon enough I was pouring on the speed as we reached flatlands. No one seemed to mind except Yuffie.

Hearing gagging above but unable to check on Yuffie's condition, I ignored her up until her hand appeared and slapped at the windshield.

"Slow…down ugh… I'm gonna puke!"

"Then do it off the back!" I yelled right back.

"SLOW DOWN!" Yuffie sounded like she really was about to toss her cookies.

"You puke on the windshield; you'll have to clean it up!" Kunsel shouted at the young ninja.

Yuffie groaned but moved away from the windshield at least.

Aeris didn't look too pleased with either Kunsel or me right then. "You don't have to be so harsh."

We stopped for the first time after almost three hours for bathroom breaks. Yuffie was quite happy for a reprieve, however short, and positively leaped from the buggy. Just as everyone else started to disembark we heard a scream come from the direction that our mini-ninja had gone.

"Hold on!" Zack yelled as he grabbed the Buster sword and ran into the bushes followed shortly by Red and Tifa. They returned moments later, Tifa holding a frog.

"Where's Yuffie?" Cloud asked as I stared at the frog and remembered one particular monster that I hated and thought as troublesome simply because of how a friendly touch could render most characters useless.

"Anyone have a Maiden's Kiss?" Tifa asked lamely.

"Rachas has a Heal…" Cloud offered.

"It can't cure this, not yet at least." Walking over I gently poked at the frog. "Are you sure that's Yuffie?"

To answer my question the frog jumped up onto its back legs and attempted to punch at my hand.

"No doubt that's her!" Barret roared with laughter.

"We either need to get to the next town or wait for this to wear off… How long do you think that would take?"


	23. Chapter 23

SA: One thing is for certain, Cali is a lot cooler than Florida was.

Saria: (shrugs) Rio Grande Valley was hotter than Florida.

Zas: The Caribbean Islands were different too, but surfing is more fun here!

Tori: I miss the Outer Banks of NC…

Saria: …Good lord, I'm a transient!

zzzzzzzzzz

_**Shinra**_

Tseng came very close to banging his head against the nearest wall. His duties recently had gone from being just something not to think about at the end of the day to just plain un-ignorable! First he gets sent on a mission to help Scarlet in her search for specific types of materia and has to put up with her attempts to flirt and then gets reminded that the Branch of Administrative Research is now considered to be under Heidegger's control. Then Elena had returned from a mission to just insure that Cait Sith's reports on AVALANCHE were accurate and she was babbling again, cracking up and repeating the words "butt" and "Tseng" in almost every sentence. If this kept up, she would need to be "retired" after just over a week of service. Next, Rude and Reno had returned and now Rude was insisting that that troublesome Ancient had thrown him with barely a touch! He had no bruises whatsoever but insisted that that young woman had thrown him with one hand!

Grabbing a sheet of paper usually reserved for mission summaries and reports, Tseng assigned his Turks a new and completely unheard of mission: to rest. He didn't want any of them back here until Elena could speak normally and Rude stopped hallucinating! Setting the mission on top of the missions pile, Tseng stood to depart for the meeting that was scheduled in a few minutes.

As he exited the elevator on the 66th floor, he was surprised to see Reeve slowly moving down the hall, several files in his hands.

"Another report from Cait Sith?" Tseng asked, wondering if they were going to find that AVALANCHE had gained yet another new member or had plans to destroy something.

Reeve glanced over at him right as they reached the entrance to the boardroom. "Yes, kind of."

"Then we'll be eager to hear it after the meeting." Rufus was already in place at the table, looking quite comfortable in the Presidential seat. Heidegger and Palmer were there as well and Scarlet joined them soon after both men had taken their seats.

Tseng listened as attentively as he could as Reeve presented the case on why they should either expand Midgar or rebuild Sector 7. Rufus neither agreed nor disagreed with the possibilities or their respective plans but promised to give it some thought.

Scarlet and Heidegger gave reports then, but they sounded very canned, almost like they had subordinates read their reports and were now regurgitating them to the young President. Palmer made a plea for the Space Program but little attention was given to it, as was normal.

The meeting ended and Palmer, Heidegger, and Scarlet all departed.

"So," Rufus shifted into a more comfortable position in his seat. "What is the report from Cait Sith?"

Reeve took a visible breath and told them of AVALANCHE's arrival in Gongaga and encountering the Turks though Cait wasn't a part of the group that had the run-in. Some of the group acted a bit suspicious of his creation now but weren't very open with it. In total, they weren't causing trouble at the moment.

"One more thing," Reeve stated when it seemed that the report was finished. "The one named Rachas claims to be from Banora." Tseng almost bit himself. "She claims the village was destroyed by Shinra five years ago and the reason she survived was because she wasn't there and the planet told her what happened."

Rufus offered a short laugh. "Perhaps Ancient is the equivalent of schizophrenic. If Shinra had done anything like that, surely I would know. Have you ever heard of this Tseng?"

Tseng remained quiet for a moment, perhaps a moment too long seeing as Reeve stated, "So it is true then."

"Genesis Rhapsodos wiped out the village people. To prevent the public from knowing of any wrongdoing that could be traced back to Shinra the village was bombed."

Rufus huffed quietly as he dragged the once again updated files back to himself. "So you can't truly keep secrets from those Ancients."

Reeve stared at the men who showed no signs of regret over destroying a whole village. He had joined this effort because AVALANCE was in the past a very dangerous group that cared little for what casualties they caused and he wished to help prevent this, but this was starting to feel like he didn't know the whole story.

_**Normal**_

"And then Scarlet said that she wanted big, large, huge materia to make an ultimate weapon!" Cloud had finally gotten around to telling everyone what we had seen at the reactor. I had given up being the driver for now and was attempting to help Yuffie while Aeris took a shot at driving.

To those who are wondering how long the frog transformation lasts without the aid of either a Maiden's Kiss or the Esuna spell, let's just say this: two hours after being changed and Yuffie wasn't in the least bit looking her old self unless you counted how green travel made her.

In an effort to try to help in some manner, I had pulled out the Heal materia and was trying to see if I could make it level up by sheer use. Who knows, maybe Esuna could also provide temporary relief for her motion sickness!

I don't think I was making much progress.

"Anyone know the principle of how the frog touch works?" I finally asked as I set the materia back into a pocket after casting the spell on Yuffie for the twelfth time.

"Ain't ya concerned about this ultimate weapon Shinra wants to make?" Barret demanded from the other side of the buggy.

I gave Barret a very flat look then. "When the supposed builder of this weapon uses the words big, large, and huge stacked on top of one another to describe it? I would find anything built by a six year old more threatening."

Kunsel laughed at my joke. "With what Weapons has been turning out recently, a six year old probably could do a better job!"

"Has it gotten that bad?" Zack look a bit distressed. "And after everything I went through in establishing and helping that experimental materia branch?"

"Urban Development is probably the one department whose head isn't laughed about behind their back." Kunsel looked very serious.

"That's all well and good, now about the frog touch?" I asked a bit louder.

"Touch-mes just touch the victim to cast their spell. Like with just about any spell there is a time limit on it." Groaning I set Yuffie down on the seat. I had hoped that maybe if it was just a touch that water might help but last I checked water didn't help magic effects.

"Ok everyone, I'm going to pass the Heal materia around. I want everyone to cast at least five times with it before passing it on. We're going to get this damn thing leveled so we can deal with these situations."

"'Fraid of bein a frog?" Barret asked as I passed Tifa the materia.

"Yes," I replied honestly as Tifa made her first cast.

"It has been over two hours," Kunsel stated. "Imagine if there was more than just one of us stuck in this state."

"Maybe the midget'll learn a lesson from this," Barret declared as he leaned back and was promptly hopped upon by Yuffie-frog. Everyone laughed as Barret did a strange jumping dance and tried to knock Yuffie off.

"I think we should stop here for the night," Aeris called from the front. "We're near a river and the area seems to be clear."

"Sounds good to me," Zack called.

Red and Cait had been oddly silent today, Red I could understand since we were quickly approaching Cosmo Canyon but Cait's silence surprised me.

"You feeling ok?" I asked Cait as he hopped off of his mechanical mog.

"Just fine! Why'd'ya ask lassie?"

I shrugged though my concern genuine. "You've just been very quiet today, it's kind of unusual." Glancing over I saw that Tifa had just handed Red the Heal materia and the faithful guy was doing exactly as I had asked.

"Hey Rachas, Cait, get the canteens filled will ya?" Zack called as he dragged the tents from the back of the buggy.

"Sure thing!" I grabbed the purifiers and my share of the canteens while the mog grabbed Cait's and the mechanical cat followed along to the river.

The canteens were filled quickly and we returned to the camp where as usual Red had patrolled. The main difference was we had a frog moping by the fire while something that Red had killed on patrol roasted over the fire. As we waited for the meat to cook everyone continued to pass around the materia with it going from Red to Aeris to Zack to Barret to Cloud before the food seemed ready.

The meat was bland and no one dared to ask what it had once been, but after the treat of home-cooked food earlier today and yesterday, no one was eager to go back to eating our dried supplies.

Right as everyone finished eating Barret excused himself to make use of the woods while everyone continued to chat. I had just managed to draw Red into a conversation about constellations when we heard a yell filled with expletives, followed by silence.

"Barret?" Tifa called as she stood from the small camping fire followed by Cloud who had just handed the Heal materia to Kunsel. When no reply came they both rushed into the brush followed shortly by me and Red.

What we found in the brush wasn't our large machine gun-arm companion but a VERY large frog that was thoroughly railing on three of the frog monsters.

"Barret?" Tifa asked as she approached the frog after the three monsters had been slapped down. The frog made an angry huffy gesture and we all knew it was definitely him.

"Good thing he already practiced with the materia," I stated as Tifa reached down and grabbed Barret who attempted to hop away.

"Better hope we get the materia leveled soon." Cloud had already turned back to camp and I swore that he almost seemed to be grinning.

Kunsel was still casting with the materia when we walked back into the camp, Yuffie-frog sitting next to him while Zack kept a sharp eye out.

"What happened?" He demanded immediately as we approached before he caught sight of yet another frog. "Is that Barret?" He now looked torn between serious and laughter.

"Yep," Tifa stated as she set Barret-frog down next to the fire by Yuffie. "I don't think it's safe to sleep out here tonight."

"I second that," Red stated.

"Then where are we gonna sleep?" Zack demanded as he bounced slightly. He received looks from everyone before our eyes turned to the buggy. "We can't all lie in there!"

"We'll just need to improvise." Tifa had already moved to start taking down the tents aided by Cait Sith and Kunsel after he passed me the Heal.

"Look on the bright side," I told Zack as I grabbed up the canteen and stocked them into the buggy. "There are just eight of us at full size right now and so long as the door stays shut, we won't need a watch."

"Yes we will, just in case," Cloud stated as he walked past me, a collapsed tent in hand. Red had gathered the scraps from our meal and dragged them away from the camp so I picked up Barret and Yuffie and took them into the buggy.

"So, how are we going to divide the watch schedule tonight?" I asked as everyone got themselves situated in the buggy. I will admit this to Zack; he was right in that we were in for a bit of a tight squeeze. During the day everyone was either sitting or driving or moving. Lying down to sleep took up almost three times the amount of room. Maybe I should invest in a Transform materia and cast either mini or frog on everyone so we could fit better.

"Same as ever, two hour shifts for everyone who stays up tonight and seeing as how neither Barret nor Yuffie are available right now, they'll be automatically slotted in for tomorrow." Tifa was the one to make that decision.

Everyone shrugged or declared that it was fine by them while I slotted the materia into my armlet and tried casting again.

"I'll go first t'night," Cait volunteered.

"Second," I automatically called.

Aeris called the third shift then and Cloud took the last. As everyone tried their best to spread out and get comfortable, I tried casting several more times and I can honestly say I was hoping this wouldn't work. A bright glow from the materia caused me to bite my tongue to keep from cursing.

"I don't think I've ever been this crowded," Zack complained from somewhere in the back right as Red's head appeared over the seat, obviously checking out what was glowing.

"Unfortunately it's about to get worse, Rachas just got the materia to level."

Several loud groans could be heard as I was set upon by two frogs.

Two hours later I was shaken awake by Cait Sith's mog while the cat pulled at the shirts and pants I had wrapped around my head in an effort to smother Barret's snoring without smothering him.

"Time already." I yawned as I scooped up the kitty and seated myself in the driver's seat of the buggy, the agreed upon post for the watchman. I must say, Reeve did an amazing job with Cait Sith's construction, he felt and sounded like a real cat all the day down to purring as I scratched him behind the ears. It was very comforting to me.

Watching the stars through the windshield of the buggy wasn't as spectacular as outside, but the planet still hummed her song of life with the river whispering of her own journey, the crickets and toads outside adding their own familiar music.

Two hours passed quickly enough and when time came I roused Aeris then returned to the spot I had claimed next to Red and slept.

My dreams that night were of a mouse I used to keep as a pet, even carrying with me to school a few times. How his fur was always soft and his whiskers always tickled my skin. In my dream he had grown to be the size of a fairly big plushy.

"Rachas…" It felt like a paw was poking my ribs. Grunting, I turned onto my side, away from the offending poke and hugged my mouse closer.

"Rachas," the mouse whispered.

"Nezumi wa hanasu koto ga dekimasen," I grumbled.

Muffled laughter finally pulled me into waking and I looked up to see Red and a laughing Yuffie. I immediately checked my materia.

"What did she say?"

Yuffie grinned as she turned to Red. "She said, "Mice can't talk". Great thing to say when a cat and a dog try to wake you!"

Glancing down I found that I was still holding Cait Sith, not that the cat looked ready to complain. He actually seemed more thoughtful.

"So, we're leaving?" I asked as I released the cat robot.

"Not quite yet, we seem to be having a bit of a problem." Red turned his gaze to a window and I let my eyes follow. On the glass pane I saw what seemed to be several frogs that crawled along on the outside of the buggy. In fact, now that I looked around, there were frogs on all the windows! And they were a bit too bright looking to be normal frogs.

"Are those touch-mes?" I asked as I jumped to my feet and backed slightly away from the window.

"Don't move so much or make so much noise!" Kunsel hissed. "The last thing we need is for one or more of them to perform "Frog Song"!"

"Let me guess, that's why we don't just drive out of here, isn't it?"

"I have an idea!" Zack spoke at a regular volume but in the dead silence of the buggy it sounded like a yell. "Cait Sith has a transform materia, he can turn them all into frogs!"

Even Aeris gave her boyfriend a pitying look.

"I mean regular frogs! They can't use spells then like "Frog Song"!"

"So you want us to count the frogs and insure we hit every single one of them with a spell that has to be cast on an individual basis? Even an All materia won't allow us to hit more than six or seven at a time!" Cloud looked quite disappointed.

"What if everyone just covered their ears?" Tifa suggested.

"Does anyone have an accessory to prevent the song from affecting you? Like a Ribbon?" Everyone shook their head but I noticed Yuffie was a bit slow on that and seemed to have a thoughtful look. Red noticed as well.

"Are you sure, Yuffie?" The canine's soft, wise voice asked.

The ninja groaned then reached into her pack and pulled out what appeared to be a white cape. "The store manager said this prevented frog. I thought it would make a great dramatic cape!"

"Perfect!" Zack recognized the item apparently and grabbed at it while Yuffie jumped back.

"We need to decide who will wear that," Tifa stated as Yuffie jumped back, clutching the cloak to her. "They'll be the driver and have to use the Heal materia on all of us."

"I'll do it!" Yuffie volunteered immediately.

"Don't want ya doing it!" Barret was very firm in that notion.

"But I don't want to be a toad again!"

"Wait, there might be another possibility!" Everyone stared at me. "The spell "Frog Song" is also based on casting it on each individual, right?" Kunsel and Red nodded. "So the driver needs to wear the cape, no two ways about it, but what if the driver was the only one they saw?"

The blank stares showed I'd lost everyone.

"These are frogs. Yes they have powers, but frogs none the less. How smart could they possibly be, especially if they are looking into a place they can't smell or explore? The rest of us just need to cover ourselves in some way, get under a seat or toss a blanket over ourselves so we won't be recognized as beings that they can cast on!"

Cloud sighed. "It seems improbable, but we might have to try it."

Several more ideas were tossed around ranging everywhere from abandoning the buggy (Yuffie) to trying to "smash the little suckers" (Barret) to having the person wearing the cape run out and try to either lead the frogs away or fight them off (Zack). In the end Cloud was given the cape and the Heal materia and the rest of us crawled under the seats except Barret, who was too big to squeeze under one of the bench seats even if there had been one left, who threw a blanket over himself and Cait's Mog.

Cloud waited a few moments before starting up the buggy and everyone instantly heard a chirping from the touch-mes outside. As the buggy crept forward slowly to the river where we hoped they would mostly be washed off, the chirps faded in and out, almost as though they were trying to decide if they wanted to cast or not.

"Halfway there," Cloud called out but no one dared to answer. Even Yuffie was forcing herself to remain still and not make a sound. It was kind of creepy actually.

The first true note that I heard came moments after the sound of the front wheels hitting water could be heard. As water sloshed around the sides of the buggy, rising quickly to the windows, several broken notes could be heard as the touch-mes were washed away.

"Hold on everyone, I'm going to try to get the ones on the roof off." Cloud stepped on the accelerator then, throwing the buggy sharply forward and causing a wave of water to surge over the roof. Yuffie groaned loudly while everyone kept on the look-out for any leaks that could pose problems. Over head, the chirping of the touch-mes seemed to finally be gone. Finally the buggy began to move uphill, right as a small puddle began to form near me from a leak. Then the buggy seemed to jump again as the water level fell and the vehicle was able to move more easily.

Crossing the river had done the trick with getting the touch-mes off, and after Cloud did a quick walk around of the buggy we were off again. The terrain quickly enough changed to desert and the path the buggy followed became rocky. Yuffie had thankfully already moved back to the roof.

The day moved on somewhat quietly with everyone having various conversations. I had time to reflect on what had happened in Gongaga and realized my Jedi skills were going to be noticed sooner or later, so I may as well start getting the group warmed up to what I could be capable of. It would also help with giving Aeris an idea of what she would be learning, and hopefully I'd get an idea on how to start her training when the time came. The best way to accomplish these goals: stories.

Seeing that Aeris was alone at the moment while Zack took a turn at driving, I moved back to sit next to her. Red, who was lying on the next seat over, glanced up as I sat next to Aeris.

Aeris smiled as I sat. "Are you enjoying your day?"

Aeris had a very calming presence and I found myself smiling also. "I'm fine. I just thought we could talk, maybe exchange a story or something."

"Stories?" Red looked up at my suggestion.

Aeris seemed to think back for a moment, almost like she was trying to remember one herself. "I don't think I know too many stories other than what I've heard from the planet or the fairy tales I've heard as a child."

"I've got several which I'm sure you'll find quite helpful and enjoyable."

"A story? Helpful?" Barret had turned in his seat to stare at us. "Stories only for entertainin!"

Aeris thankfully seemed to have picked up on my hinting to her. "I'd like to hear one!"

"This story begins a long time ago, in an age where the people were defended by the Jedi, guardians of peace and justice. They had many talents, both as Jedi and individuals and many possible ways that they could spend their lives, either as civilians, in specialty corps, or as the knights who settled disputes." Almost everyone else had slowly turned their attention to me as I began the story, first describing Jedi in vague terms then the Sith. After establishing a basis so that everyone would understand, I began a **HIGHLY** edited version of an Old Republic novel called Red Harvest. Introducing Hestizo Trace, the Jedi apprentice who specialized in plants, even forming a special telepathic bond with a rare black orchid, had led everyone to make sidelong glances at Aeris. Even Barret looked upset when the part where Hestizo was kidnapped by a "thief" who was hired to steal her black orchid came along. I completely cut space travel, a lot of technology, the Force, and alien species from the story as well as the zombie hordes. Instead, the Sith swallowed the plant whole in his scheme for immortality then attempted to kill Hestizo in an ancient Sith ritual. I stopped after Hestizo commanded the plant, still alive inside the Sith, to sprout into his head and kill him because Aeris looked a bit ill.

"That was interesting," Cait stated from two seats in front of me.

"Imaginative." Kunsel stated as he turned back in his seat. "The idea of Jedi I'll admit is very imaginative though impossible."

Tifa smacked the back of his head. "Didn't stop you from listening."

Cloud was the one who stared at me for a while longer. "So, these Jedi, they could move things with their minds, see the future, and speak without talking?"

"The stories indicate they had a number of abilities. I've heard several where they were able to command people to do something or another. Perform something impossible such as levitating a ship."

"Do you think they could?"

I stared at Cloud for a long moment, wondering how I should word my response. "Cloud, I believe that Jedi would be limited beings, not able to change the weather or force an entire civilization to change their ways on their own. I'm an engineer by education, so I have to ask this: how? Intangible things such as foresight I can wrap my mind around, levitating a rock, sure. But lifting a ship without any outside help is where I have to draw the line."

"Ain't that what we're doin against Shinra?" Barret asked.

I fell silent after that as Barret tried to find support against what I'd just said.

"So, you're a Jedi?" Aeris whispered.

"I'm hoping one day, but I'm literally trying to sort things out and learn as we go," I responded quietly, thankful for the fair amount of racket that Barret was causing. Aeris hummed and sat back.

"It was a bit disturbing though, Hestizo using a plant like that…"

"That wasn't just a situation of him or her, for her that was a situation of if she didn't stop him then he would be able to bring havoc upon ever-," I was cutoff when the engine of the buggy gave a cough. "Zack, what are you doing up there?"

"It's alright! This tub is probably just a bit hot."

"Nothin to fear, plenty o' life in this pile of bolts," Barret agreed.

"Besides, you could probably fix this thing if anything went wrong!"

"I'm a pilot with an engineering background, in AIRPLANES. Not a grease monkey!" I declared as I glared at Zack.

"Everything's alright!"

The morning turned to afternoon and Zack traded off driving with Barret, both insisting the buggy was fine. The coughing of the engine had gone from being occasional to near constant and when the machine finally stopped all anyone could think to say came from Kunsel who stared at Zack and Barret and sarcastically declared, "Everything's alright!"

Moving to the front of the buggy with a jacket I had borrowed from Barret's pack without him noticing, I unhooked the hood and took a look at what we were dealing with then promptly glared at Zack.

Kunsel elbowed in next to me as did Cloud and both of them groaned loudly. Spark plugs, generally not a big issue, but I didn't know where we would find replacements in the desert and the level of carbon scoring on them made it impossible for us to just try a basic cleaning. Not to mention that a lot of the engine was gummed up due to sand.

"We need a mechanic." Cloud stated bluntly. Zack and Barret had the decency to look sheepish.

"In the desert?" Tifa asked.

"My home isn't far from here." Red volunteered. "We're sure to find someone who can help." He turned then and headed toward a large outcropping of rock that we had passed only minutes ago.

Seeing there was not much else anyone could do, we all grabbed our packs and followed Red. Some of us more eager than others.

"Yes! We're walking again!" Yuffie exclaimed happily as she ran after Red.

"And going less than a quarter as fast as previous," Kunsel called after her angrily.

"Try more along the lines of a tenth," I grumbled as I noticed how heavy my pack was getting. Checking inside I decided that Cosmo Canyon would be where I offloaded a number of potions, old bangles, and probably burn Jedi Healer. My clothes needed cleaning also, most likely everyone's did.

Right as the sun was setting, we reached the staircase that led to the town area. The climb wasn't a long one, but by the end of it I was ready to sit down. Another thing was that as we drew closer and closer to the top, a horrible cold feeling invaded my senses.

"Nanaki?" I heard Cloud ask.

"Welcome to Cosmo Canyon, are you familiar with the land?" The guard at the front called out in greeting, receiving negative responses from everyone. "Let me explain. People from all over the world come here to seek the Study of Planet life."

Barret seemed to jump in an excited manner. "I always wanted to come here!"

"Um, we're at full capacity at present, so I'm afraid I can't let you enter." Barret looked like Christmas had just been cancelled. Before he could say anything though, Nanaki came back down.

"They helped me some when I was on the road, please let them in."

"Oh you helped Nanaki? Welcome in, you're more than welcome here!" Talk about a fickle guard.

"Who is Nanaki?" Asked Zack, receiving a confused look from the guard.

"Nanaki is Nanaki. That is his name." The guard stated matter-of-factly.

"Hey, could you help us out too? Our buggy broke down and we need a professional's help."

"It's no problem; I'll tell you how it is later, now enjoy yourselves." We all trooped through the entrance and as we moved deeper into the village, the creepy feeling increased.

"Here is where I was... I mean... This is my hometown." Glancing up I saw Red, no, Nanaki, above us on the stairs. It was kind of funny seeing him so excited.

"You were born here?" Aeris asked, her eyes sparkling.

"My tribe was the protectors of those who appreciate this beautiful canyon and the Planet. My brave mother fought and died here, but my cowardly father left her... I am the last of my race" Red looked saddened yet angry, not that I blamed him. Boy was he in for a surprise.

"Cowardly father?" asked Cloud, receiving a nod from Red.

"Yes, he was a wastrel. The mission I inherited from my ancestors is to protect this place. My journey ends here." Everyone except Cait Sith and I looked a bit upset.

"Nanaki! You're home!" Good god, for an old man Bugenhagen has a set of lungs in him.

"Coming grandpa!" Red called as he raced back up to the tunnel in the cliff.

"Let's take a breather." Said Barret and the rest of the group agreed. I wasn't interested in the Cosmo too much though, I felt as though I were freezing! I made an immediate beeline to the fire at the center of the village.

The bonfire was huge and continuously fed by the villagers, yet the cold still invaded my senses. Pulling out the spare jacket I had and wrapping it around myself, I began to shake.

"You ok?" Glancing back I saw Cloud was approaching the fire.

I shook my head mainly because I didn't trust my voice to not shake.

"Come on; let's go up to Re- I mean Nanaki's house. If you're coming down with something then we should get you inside straight away. He also might have something that would help."

I allowed Cloud to help me up the stairs then, the cold feeling was quickly sapping my strength and energy. We ran into Cait Sith moving through the next level.

"Lassie, you look pale!"

'Thank you Captain Obvious!' I wanted to yell but all I could do was shiver as Cloud helped me up yet another flight of stairs. Moments later we were in front of what felt like the most evil door in existence and where the cold seemed to be centered.

I couldn't stop myself as the cold reached out and grasped at me. I screamed as my limbs gave a jerk and then I knew no more.


	24. Chapter 24

Tori: Little Tokyo was awesome!

Saria: I got some cream bread!

Zas: I found melon pan!

Tori: Mochi ice cream!

SA: We didn't go to any of the restaurants…

Saria: We'll go back! Eventually…

zzzzzzzzzzz

_With AVALANCHE_

When Rachas collapsed Cloud had no idea what to do. Seeing her unconscious on the ground distressed him and that she was still shaking, her skin ice cold…

One of the locals who had seen what happened ran to retrieve their village elder as Cloud pulled out his PHS and desperately called Aeris hoping the other Ancient would know what to do.

Red and an old man who he guessed was the elder showed up moments later. The old man introduced himself as Bugenhagen and jumped from his floating crystal ball to check on Rachas.

"Do you know what happened?" the elder asked as he felt Rachas's pulse.

"She just seemed to not be feeling well, acting like she was very cold. I found her standing next to the bonfire wrapped in her jacket while shivering."

Bugenhagen stood then turned to the large metal door they were near before looking back at the ill woman. "Is she sensitive of the planet?"

"Sensitive of the planet?" Cloud was confused but luckily Cait Sith seemed to understand.

"She's an Ancient," the little cat piped up.

Bugenhagen's eyebrows rose exponentially. Before he could ask anything further though, Aeris arrived.

"Cloud! What happened? Is Rachas…" Aeris trailed off as she caught sight of the other woman passed out on the ground.

Bugenhagen called one of the locals over. "I want you to take these women to my house," he instructed with a nod towards Aeris and Rachas. "You three," Bugenhagen turned to Cloud, Cait, and Red. "I believe we need to see what has happened that could cause this sort of reaction. It may also be time to finally tell you the truth about your father Nanaki."

"My father?" Red demanded, anger and confusion in his tone.

Cloud watched the man who lifted Rachas intently and received an understanding look from the guy.

"Don't worry, your sister will be just fine," the man assured him as he headed for a nearby staircase, Aeris following. For once Cloud didn't deny any relation.

_Normal_

The lifestream which usually flowed in so beautiful and smooth a fashion was beyond turbulent here, and unlike any other times that I had communed here, it reeked of rot and decay and hatred. A black, consuming sort of hatred that fed on a being until there was nothing left of what had originally been.

"Hello?" I called, ignoring the sick, cloying feeling of the decay in the lifestream. Pushing forward felt like slogging through yet another marsh and I swore that any moment I expected a Zolom to rise.

"Minerva?" Calling the goddess's name seemed to make the area surrounding me become darker and colder. Moving further still through the muck of the decayed lifestream, shadows began to appear. They moved slowly enough, but their groans were like saws on chains.

Picking my feet up, I tried my best to move away from the slowly approaching shadows.

_The Group in the Gi Caves_

Cloud cut his way through a zombie-like creature that was trying to attack them while Red/Nanaki clawed at yet another. Cait Sith was covering for them using spells, roasting several of the zombies that seemed to be moving in a random direction, not entirely focused on them. The fight was short enough but it seemed strange to find monsters such as this under a place that seemed as peaceful as Cosmo Canyon, though he was somewhat pleased about finding an added effect materia.

"Everyone here is a ghost of the Gi tribe. Killed in a certain battle," Bugenhagen stated as he led them from the first chamber into what appeared to be a second one.

"A certain battle?" inquired Red/Nanaki.

"The vengeful spirits of the Gi didn't disappear, and couldn't return to the Life-stream. But we still have far to go, ho ho hoooo."

Cloud stared at the man, disliking what he had just heard. Ancients such as Rachas and Aeris heard the dead and spoke to the planet through the lifestream, so could these things be the cause of Rachas's sudden illness?

The next room seemed like there was blood filling a pit in the floor, a terrifying mixture that seemed to boil menacingly at them.

_Normal_

The initial shadows had disappeared but there were more coming, I could hear them. There seemed to be no end to this stagnant place and it was really starting to bother me. Focusing on trying to see one of my friends was getting me nowhere and trying to speak to one of them telepathically was proving ineffective as well. This felt like I was a normal human again!

A moment later I reached a point that felt safe and stopped to try to sort through my thoughts of what could be going on. I knew the mission that happened in Cosmo Canyon and how Cloud, Red, and one other member of the party would fight off a zombie in the underground of Cosmo. That the zombie was an evil spirit that hadn't been able to move on and return to the lifestream…

Realization hit and I was sickened as I realized that what I was wading through wasn't the lifestream but rather the mire of those wicked, decaying souls. I was going to be powerless here until I reached the edge of this and hope that my body was safe.

Pushing forward from the patch that had felt safe, I pushed further into the evil that I now knew surrounded me.

_The Group in the Gi Caves_

"As you can see, this cave leads to the back of Cosmo Canyon. It was unfortunate the Gi were larger than us. If they attacked through here, we wouldn't have stood a chance. Now let's move on."

"Which one?" asked Cloud when they came upon multiple paths.

"Second from the right," Bugenhagen called from the back. Before marching through the cave, Cloud shivered as he felt some sort of… presence pause by them for a moment before moving through. Glancing around him he saw that while Cait seemed unaffected, Red was glancing around while Bugenhagen wore a very grim expression.

After passing through the cave, their party found a gigantic web in their way. "Some monsters have stayed here so long that they grew more powerful from the Gi's influence."

A shaking of the web drew the eyes of everyone upwards to see a humungous spider beginning to descend, its fangs dripping with venom.

Pulling out his sword, Cloud prepared to engage the monster but found himself beaten to the punch as Cait Sith threw a fire spell at the web, igniting it instantly and causing the spider to fall through its own blazing net to crash onto the floor.

Red/Nanaki was on the monster within seconds, clamping his teeth onto one of the legs and keeping the thing unbalanced as Cloud ran it through with his sword.

Bugenhagen chuckled as he took the lead again for a moment, continuing his story. "This warrior went through this cave. Fighting off attackers one after another."

"Grandpa... That warrior..." Bugenhagen kept moving forward and Red was starting to look very torn.

"We are almost there."

Cloud shrugged and followed the old man into yet another chamber except this one was occupied by a gigantic ghoulish face that was twisted in an ugly expression.

"What is this..."

"Grandpa, is this..."

"After death... The ghosts of Gi... Like stagnant air. This can't be!" Cloud didn't quite understand, but even as the old man screamed denial at what they were seeing, the face twisted into an even more horrific expression before a skeletal ghoul separated from what had appeared to be solid wall.

_Normal_

I think I went the wrong way in this place, but not being able to see did kind of leave me to just guessing where to go. Still, when the ghoul appeared before me and I had no means to defend myself, I knew I was in trouble.

The first attack was a wild swing which I barely dodged, especially since I had no Jedi skills to back me up. The second attack was a grab that I fell to the ground to avoid. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to avoid the next grab.

_The Group in the Gi Caves_

"What is it doing?" Cait wondered aloud as the ghoul made a swing and grab at empty air as they prepped for an attack.

"I don't know, but if this thing is just playing around, then that won't stop us from being serious." Cloud rushed forward then, his sword landing a heavy blow on the hand that had just seemed to close around something, knocking the hand open.

Red rushed by him then and bit off a large chunk from the ghoul's torso but it didn't seem to care or be hindered by the attack.

"Stand aside!" Cait shouted as his mog rushed forward, hurling its large paw-like hand into the side of the ghoul. The response was the ghost swiping at the mog, tossing it across the chamber and land with a skid before Bugenhagen before swiping at empty air again and unleashing a screeching howl.

_Normal_

The ghoul's hand had just closed around me when its arm jerked as though it had been struck. Not wasting to moment I jumped back and scrambled to my feet and turned, intent to try to run but stopped when I remembered this was the final boss of the Cosmo Canyon dungeon. As much as I hated to admit this, the best course of action I could possibly take was not to run back through the murky decay but to try to get around this being.

Turning again to face the ghost, I picked up my pace to a dead run, pushing everything I had into getting around the monster. I was surprised when the monster gave two jerks as though it had been hit by something but took the presented opportunity, ducking under another swipe and racing towards what had to be the open area beyond when a grating screech was unleashed that chilled me to the core.

"_Feeed!" _The voice was laced with malice enough that even Hojo seemed pale in comparison to this thing. And underneath that malice I felt the hunger, the desperation of these trapped souls. Good God, these things wanted to devour me!

My forward progress was abruptly halted when another being crashed into me.

_The Group in the Gi Caves_

Cloud was getting frustrated, this thing wasn't going down easily and Red had found that poison didn't affect it. If anything, the ghoul seemed to take poison like it were medicine. Ice wasn't working too well either and Cait's Transform materia was simply useless.

Cait Sith threw a fire spell and grumbled angrily about how they should have brought more people as Cloud powered up for his Blade Beam limit break. As much as Cloud wanted to admit that Cait was right and that they had brought some of the others, there simply hadn't been time.

His attack landed and the ghoul seemed to step back then took another swipe at empty air.

"What is that thing doing? Does it even realize we're here?" Red demanded loudly.

Bugenhagen closed his eyes for a moment that sat rod straight. "There is another spirit here, one that belongs to a live person. It is trying to absorb her!" He yelled.

"Rachas," Cloud realized. This ghoul was attacking alright, but at someone they couldn't see or defend!

It surprised them though when Bugenhagen suddenly seemed to laugh, even as the ghoul before them gave a harsh jerk as though being hit by something they couldn't see. "Seems as though this may finally be resolved," He announced in explanation right before Cloud felt a spell being cast on him and suddenly the ghoul looked to be moving at half speed.

_Normal_

I screamed as the thing I had collided with rolled over me, terrified that I would feel its teeth dig into me at any moment. It surprised me by jumping away and found myself staring at…

"Red?" I demanded, disbelieving what I was seeing, but quickly decided this couldn't be Red. This lion-dog-wolf was much bigger than Red, had longer fangs, and both of his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" The new being demanded. "And I am Seto."

"Seto, Nanaki's father!" I made sure to use Red's proper name. "Wait, aren't you dead?"

"And you are not, now stand aside. That Gi is being fought on the living side now, it is finally my chance to be rid of them for good."

"Wait; is your son one of the fighters?"

"Yes in fact. He and two others will need to be assisted from this side."

I glanced around, wondering what I could possibly do. Yes I was sure that Cloud, Red, and whoever they brought along could win, but I didn't want to run like a coward!

As Seto rushed forward, I glanced at my form and was surprised to find that although I was missing my weapons, my materia were in fact with me. Of course, materia were solidified bits from the lifestream, so they would have a spiritual form as well as a physical form and would have followed me.

Reaching into my pocket where I kept my Time materia, I focused on the spell and envisioned Cloud and Red since I knew for certain they were there. Casting was easily done, even if I didn't know whether or not if it had worked.

Placing the materia back, I followed Seto back to the fight and prepared to cast Cure as rapidly and repetitively as I could.

_The Group in the Gi Caves_

After Haste had been cast on both him and Red, Cloud and the canine attacked the ghoul almost continuously while Cait Sith began to offer what support he could, either sending his mog in for a hit or with a potion for them while the little cat either cast spells or attacked using the noise of his megaphone.

The Gi ghost was taking a lot of damage now as it swiped both at them and open air, assuring them that Rachas's spirit hadn't been caught yet. It surprised everyone though when a green haze that they all recognized as a Cure spell formed over the Gi. The bloodcurdling scream that followed shocked them even more as they saw the spell had the opposite effect on the monster. The ghoul lashed out at something but another invisible force slammed into the ghost even as Red lashed out again then the haze of another Cure spell formed over the ghoul.

Cait chose to try seeing what a hyper-potion would do to the monster then and had his mog throw one over the beast. The effects were similar to the cure spells though not as profound.

Cloud lunged forward again, his sword catching a swipe that was made at open air, before cutting deeply into what little flesh the ghoul had right as another invisible impact was made and the haze of another Cure formed. Pulling his blade free, Cloud threw all his strength into the next blow he made, his sword cutting into the skull of the ghoul right as Red's teeth clamped into its throat.

The Gi spirit finally began to fade and around them the air and feel of the cave began to clear of the evil that had pervaded it.

_Normal_

As the ghost finally faded, the murky decay of the lifestream around Seto and me finally began to clear and the turbulence calmed.

"It's finally done…" Looking over I saw Seto sit in a very tired looking fashion, not that I could blame him though. He had been here for so many years, tirelessly fighting these monsters and fulfilling his oath to protect this Canyon and the people who inhabited it.

"Will you finally rest now?" I asked as fresh green tendrils from the lifestream began to sweep through the area. "You have finished your task an-"

"So young," Seto stared at me. "My duties will never end, just as my oath will forever stand. So long as this planet exists, I will defend this place, the beloved home of my ancestors. Where my mate and son were born and where my grandchildren shall hopefully take their first breaths."

I had seen Advent Children so I knew that Red at some point did have children and it seemed that Seto was certain of it.

"I wish you the best then."

As I turned to leave, Seto called after me. "Would you deliver a message to my son?"

zzzzzzzzzz

The first thing I became aware of was that I was hot, as in roasting hot. Forcing myself to sit up, I tossed off the blankets and quilts that covered my form.

"Rachas," a pair of hands pushed at my shoulders and I turned to see a very concerned looking Aeris. "You need to lie down."

"I'm alright now," I told her as I pushed her hands away. "Where are we?"

"Red's house." Zack's voice came from a hole in the floor that must have doubled as a door. His head popped in moments later. "You gave everyone quite the scare, and we can't get any to tell us what happened! Barret says he's going to pull a you and torture it out of someone."

"He doesn't need to do that," I raised my voice to insure I was heard. "I was just overly tired." Several voices called up then, wanting to know if I was really ok and demanding to know what had happened. They cut off at the sound of a door opening and closing again.

"Cloud, Rachas just woke up." Tifa's voice floated up as I shakily stood and walked to the hole, Aeris taking my arm in support.

"She's not trying to move around just yet, is she?"

"You should know me by now," I called down as I grabbed the pole that descended through the hole and slid down. "I pull stupid stunts sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Kunsel had pushed through the crowded living room, ducking under Barret's arm in order to get closer. "I count three times that you have done something majorly stupid, sometimes even unexplainable. And that has been in just the past few weeks, who knows what you were up to before meeting Zack."

"Living out of a backpack, flying through weather that no one else would dare to fly in to insure medical supplies were delivered or whatever I was hired to deliver, actually this isn't so different. And for your information, I don't count freezing the pillar as a stupid stunt. That was a gamble meant to buy time and save people."

A cough drew everyone's attention then and we all glanced up as Bugenhagen floated over the group. By this time Aeris had joined us as well and I heard her gasp at seeing the old man floating. "Since the whole group seems to be here allow me to introduce myself. I am Bugenhagen, the elder of Cosmo Canyon."

"Everyone, this is my grandfather, Bugen. He is incredible, he knows everything." Everyone blinked in surprise, most probably wondering how this relation worked.

"Ho Ho, I hear you looked after Nanaki a bit." Bugenhagen smiled at everyone as he bobbed slightly in air.

"It was our pleasure," Zack called up to the old man.

"He helped us out just as much," Cloud added.

"Oh but you see Nanaki is still a child you see," Bugenhagen stated.

"Grandpa stop, I'm forty eight," Red looked a bit agitated. The old man just laughed.

"Nanaki's tribe has incredible longevity. You see forty eight would be equivalent to fifteen or sixteen in human reckoning." Nanaki's embarrassment drew smiles from almost everyone.

"So, Red's a kid then?" Barret asked.

"He is quiet and very deep; some would think he was an adult."

"Grandfather, I want to be an adult. I want to be able to protect you and the village." Nanaki mumbled with his head down.

"No No Nanaki, you can't stand on your own yet." Red looked very depressed and slightly mutinous. "To do so would destroy you in the long run."

Bugenhagen was no longer speaking just to Red though; he didn't seem to be talking to anyone. "Reaching up into the heavens, threatening to snatch the very stars from the great city, Midgar. You've seen it, haven't you... well that's a bad example, looking up too much makes you lose perspective."

"Not entirely," I argued. "Looking up at the stars reminds you there is still so much to see and learn." Red stared at me for my comment.

"Don't you ever feel as though you know enough?"

"When it is time for this planet to die, you will understand that you know absolutely nothing." Bugenhagen had floated down so the he was pretty much just in front of Red and me. He stared at both of us for a moment before Barret piped up.

"The Planet's gonna be around a long time if we can do anything 'bout it."

Bugenhagen stared at both Aeris and me then. "Tell me young Cetra, can you hear the Planet's screams as I do?" As if on cue, various noises that had been just on the edge of my senses picked up and filled the room and the rest of AVALANCE jumped and glanced around.

"That is the sound of the stars in the heavens, while this goes on; planets are born, and die." As soon as he stated this, another noise that had been at the edge of my senses picked up and screamed through the room. Just as before AVALANCHE jumped and glanced around.

"The Planet," Aeris whispered though I'm certain everyone heard her.

"Yes, the Planet calls; tries to tell us "I hurt, I suffer"."

"Grandpa, my friends are on a journey to save the planet, why don't you show them your apparatus?" Red looked excited about the machine.

"To save the planet? Ho Ho hooo. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to show them. Though not all of them can fit at once so they'll have to enter in groups."

A bit of shuffling later and the groups were decided. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret would enter first, then Zack, Aeris, and Cait. Kunsel, Yuffie, and I would be the last to enter.

When Cloud, Tifa, and Barret were finished they left quietly through the front door after Cloud announced to everyone that we would meet up at the bonfire. Realizing that they were probably shown something different than what he had seen in the machine previously, Red decided to join the queue. Surprisingly Cait volunteered to let Red go in first and enter with those of us in the last group.

Kunsel rounded on me the moment the door closed.

"What happened?" he demanded, concern evident.

"Nothing," I replied evenly, staring him straight in the eye.

"What do you mean "what happened"?" Yuffie demanded. "She just got sick; everyone gets sick every so often."

"Cait, you went in to that place with Red and Cloud. What happened in there?"

I turned on Cait then. Our eyes met for a moment then Cait turned to Kunsel. "He showed us an ancient battleground where Red's father died."

Kunsel did not look convinced but he did drop the subject for the moment. Several minutes later Zack trooped out, Aeris beside him looking both happy and yet so sorrowful. Red was the last to exit and he seemed the most thoughtful of our friends thus far.

"Would you wait for us to be finished?" I whispered to Red as he walked past while Kunsel and Yuffie piled into the machine.

"I'll be right outside," he responded without looking at me.

Stepping into the machine, I glanced up and willed myself to not act like a kid in a candy store. I had always wanted to be an astronaut ever since I was quite young and still harbored a passion for it despite knowing that it was very unlikely that it would become a reality. For me this planetarium was an awesome place where everything looked to be at scale yet you didn't feel utterly insignificant. The planets circled the sun, asteroids and comets whizzed by, passing so close that I felt I could touch some of them.

"Amazing," Yuffie murmured, for once being otherwise silent. Kunsel didn't say anything but he was obviously taking in the sight with amazement. Cait Sith's wonder was also apparent as the cat twisted one way and the next, trying to see everything at least once.

"Ho ho ho. I still enjoy such looks of wonder. Well let's get to the subject at hand then." Bugenhagen had floated above our group and looked almost like he was a fixing of the planetarium.

"Eventually... All humans die. But what happens to them after they die?" His question was asked in a rhetorical way so though I knew Kunsel, Cait, or I could all easily answer, we remained silent. "The body decomposes, and returns to the planet. That much everyone knows. But what about their consciousness, their hearts, and souls?" Once again we all remained silent.

"The soul too returns to the planet, and not only those of humans but everything on this planet. In fact, all living things in this universe are the same." He gestured to all the planets collected in the room. "The spirits that return to the Planet merge with one another and roam the planet. They roam, converge, and divide, becoming a swell called the lifestream. Lifestream, in other words, a path of energy of the souls roaming the Planet."

"A new life... Children are blessed with spirit energy and are brought into the world. Then the time comes when they die and once again return to the Planet."

"Is that what happens for all beings?" Cait asked, wonder in his voice and once again I heard the strange twinge in his accent. It seemed as though Reeve had taken control of Cait Sith once more and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect time.

"Of course there are some exceptions, but this is the way of the world. I've digressed, but you'll understand better if you watch this." The features solar system lowered then and I found myself staring at what looked to be the sister system of Earth's. And upon Gaia there stood the figure of a man who seemed to fade into a mist of energy as well as a tree. The energy circled the globe and merged into the form of a new person while more energy began to appear.

"Spirit energy makes all things possible, trees, birds, and humans. Not just living things, but spirit energy makes it possible for planets to be Planets. Now what happens if the energy were to disappear?" Bugenhagen pulled a small lever and the energy flowed away from the planet, which in turn turned black and barren. A dead planet. "These are the basics of the Study of Planet Life."

"So if the entire planet's energy is lost, our world dies?" Kunsel sounded sickened.

"Spirit energy is efficient because it exists within nature. When spirit energy is forcefully extracted and manufactured it can't accomplish its true purpose."

"You mean like what Shinra does, tapping the Lifestream for mako." It wasn't a question; it was a statement to insure clarity that I had made.

"Every day, Mako reactors suck up spirit energy, diminishing it. Spirit energy gets compressed in the reactors and processed into Mako energy. All living things are being used up and thrown away. In other words, Mako will only destroy the Planet." Moments later the room looked almost normal and we were exiting the machine.

As everyone else trooped down the tunnels to the bonfire, I turned to the cliff overlooking the canyon where Red had seated himself.

"Hey," I said as I approached.

"You wanted to speak to me before you left?" Red still seemed very torn up, most likely over learning the truth about his father.

I swallowed as I stepped up next to the canine warrior. "I met Seto."

Red showed no visible reaction to my words.

"He said to tell you that the warrior who guards the rear, away from the eyes of those who shall tell their story, will usually be the unknown hero. It is thankless, but someone needs to do it or else everything may be lost. All he ever needed was the knowledge that his son would be safe and his oath fulfilled."

Red shook slightly as I turned and walked to the tunnels leading down to the fire.

I stopped several times at the stores and sold my extra potions then bought a set of gloves and a new pair of tantō. Right as I was leaving I noticed a small straight sword behind the counter. The owner noticed my interest and was more than willing to let me try to sword.

I was surprised at how… right the sword felt, the hilt fitting my small hand almost perfectly and the weight and balance was excellent. Remembering Cloud and Zack's promise to give me swordsmanship lessons, I bought the blade.

I arrived right in time to hear Barret make his declaration about Neo-AVALANCHE.

"Just one request," I called out as I joined the group by the fire. "Let's try to keep civilians out of this."

"You mean unlike the previous AVALANCHE?" Kunsel asked with a laugh.

"Fine by me," Barret declared.

Tifa grinned as she stood next to Cloud. "I think we are all in agreement about several things then. The first is we have to stop Shinra."

Zack stood also. "I just wanted to get back at Shinra when we started this. Now I agree that we have to stop them, no matter the cost."

Aeris stood also as did Yuffie. It seemed that we had an accord and we all headed to the inn then, determined that after a good night's sleep we would continue.

_Shinra_

Reeve could honestly say that he was reaching a point of personal turmoil. He had taken control of Cait Sith without looking over the most recent information sent by his machine and found himself facing against a monster that had not reacted to the Transform materia he had equipped on Cait Sith.

During the following battle the ghoul had seemed to attack at air and eventually the old man who had been leading their group announced that the ghost was attacking the spirit of someone who wasn't dead and Cloud had yelled that it had to be Rachas.

The thing seemed to split its attention between slapping at air and making swipes at them. Reeve's confusion continued as he noticed both Cloud and Red get a boost in speed then the ghoul started to react as though it were being hit by something none of them could see. His confusion was slightly alleviated when a spell was cast over the ghoul but became worse when he saw it was a Cure spell, then the ghoul reacted as though it were being poisoned. He had thrown a hyper-potion over the ghoul then and the battle concluded fast when the haze of a Cure spell was almost continuously cast over their opponent.

Getting up to the home of the elder, he found the rest of AVALANCHE had already been there and apparently one of the Ancients had fallen ill but now seemed to be fine.

Finally, things seemed to calm down when Red asked his "grandfather" to show them a machine that ended up being a planetarium. What he had seen though had nauseated him beyond belief and if it were true then he was seriously in the wrong for supporting Shinra.

Afterwards, though he knew it was wrong, he had used the sensitive receptors implanted in his creation to listen to what Rachas told Red before rushing Cait down to the bonfire. Taking a few minutes to go through the data collected by Cait that day, he found that the buggy had broken down, read the story told by the blond Ancient, and saw that the woman had collapsed before the door that led to the caves of those undead monsters.

Pulling the report before him, Reeve wondered for a moment about what to write about. Since the Science Department seemed to have an interest in the past for Ancient lore, he wrote the story told by the woman then moved on to their buggy breaking down. Before he could continue with the report though, Barret had jumped to his feet declaring that AVALANCHE was going to be born again.

Reeve stared in alarm, not sure whether he supported the idea or not until the blond Ancient appeared again declaring that she just wanted civilians to not be involved. The rest of the group was equally adamant that Shinra needed to be stopped and a small part of Reeve agreed but it wouldn't be so easy to get Shinra to stop Mako production.

Pulling his head back to his report, the Director of Urban Development shook his head. Even if they were to start now it would take years to find a good source of alternative energy. His field of specialty was in the developments necessary to keep people safe and comfortable.

Still, as he wrote the report he made sure that he only glazed over the illness of the Ancient and made no mention of her communication with the dead. Nor did he mention the former specimen's father.

Several hours later he logged in for just a few minutes to see the blond Ancient steal out of the inn and head towards the fire. Directing Cait Sith to follow her, he watched as she threw what appeared to be a torn up book into the flames and run back to the inn.

Turning his attention back to the flames he saw just a small scrap of paper before it too was burned and quickly wrote down what he saw. He had no clue what "edi H-" stood for, but he was certain that he would one day find out.

_Normal_

We were all up bright and early the next day and as I shouldered my pack I felt as though I had dropped more than a little weight. I had burned Jedi Healer last night and was now left without anything from my home aside from some of my clothes. The likelihood of me being found out was now quite remote, and being a Cetra worked decidedly in my favor.

"So, they told me that the buggy was fixed," Cloud looked a bit uncomfortable at the notion of leaving someone behind.

"So, we're leaving soon?" Aeris asked as she gathered her pack.

"Yep, everyone be ready in an hour."

Glancing up at the observatory, I decided now was probably the best time to ask certain questions. The climb was easier than it had been yesterday and I got all the way up within ten minutes.

"Bugenhagen? Are you there?" I called as I knocked on the door.

"Do come in," the old man called.

I entered and was not surprised to find Red wasn't here. Bugenhagen was seated for once at a table with a pot of tea before him.

"You have a question?" He asked as he sipped at his tea.

"Yes," I stated, unsure of how to ask what I was about to ask. What had happened yesterday hadn't happened in the game and I was confused by it. "Yesterday, those ghosts that took me, I could tell they wanted to devour me. What I don't understand is why."

Bugenhagen poured another cup of tea and offered me some as well. I accepted the offered cup and seated myself.

"The Gi in that cave were fallen, unable to rejoin the Lifestream."

"I could tell. The place was murky and seemed to be full of decay."

Bugenhagen nodded as he stared at me. "Spirits like that will be on the lookout for beings such as you and myself that they can possibly feed on in order to escape."

"You?" I asked, hoping he meant being able to hear the planet.

"Of course," Bugenhagen stated. "They can sense beings that come in contact with the lifestream often, and devouring these beings allows them to gain strength that would allow them to either leave or continue their mission. In the case of the Gi, I'm certain that they would have tried to continue with their attack against us. More tea?"

I nodded then froze as Bugenhagen refilled my cup- without touching the pot. A quick scan through my senses told me he was calling on the lifestream to lift the pot to pour the tea, exactly as I could do.

"I'm 129 years old and I thought that our kind was finished for certain, and then two potentials walk into my house."

I stared at the man, completely dumbstruck. "You… When? How?"

Bugenhagen smiled benignly and I was struck with just a sense of being overwhelmed. Setting my cup down, my other questions forgotten, I stood and strode out the door. I guess I expected for the old man to call after me but he never did.


	25. Chapter 25

Saria: (groans and pouts)

Tori: Your own fault. You knew you were still recovering and you pushed too hard.

Saria: I thought I was fine, it's been two months!

Zas: The doc said to take it easy for six months.

SA: (is the one typing) So are we going to start this chapter or not?

zzzzzzzzzz

We all met up at the stairs that led down from the plateau that Cosmo Canyon was built upon. Though I did the general greeting to everyone I found I just wanted to leave. I wanted to get away from Bugenhagen until I was certain I could shield my thoughts from him.

"So this is really it," Zack murmured as he paused at the top of the stairs.

"Goodbye for now Red." Aeris stood beside her boyfriend and stared up at Bugenhagen's house.

"Wait!" A shout came from the stairs. I was too far down to hear Red's words but I did smile as he jumped down the stairs past me and gave Barret the surprise of his life.

Everyone was in good cheer as we boarded the buggy again with the exception of Yuffie who groaned as she took her station on the roof.

By group consensus neither Barret nor Zack were allowed to drive anymore thus Tifa took the controls for the first shift at driving.

_Shinra_

Rufus read through the latest report from Caith Sith and he could say that the group was proving to be an amusement to him at least. Their insane adventures and encounters really did liven up his day, especially this planet-show put on by a research specimen's adopted grandfather that predicted the end of the world.

Studying the report did more than just give him amusement though. He was starting to see a bit of a pattern to the movements of Sephiroth and at the moment he was simply headed north after having exhausted most of the places to search on the western continent. But where would he go from there? Wutai? The northern continent?

AVALANCHE was serving a purpose right now though; he didn't have to waste valuable resources so long as they were chasing Sephiroth. As soon as they had a better idea of where the former general was headed he would have a better idea and be able to plan accordingly.

_Normal_

The rest of the desert passed smoothly enough and since we were going downhill for the most part we made excellent time. Aeris asked several times for a new story about the Jedi but I found myself too disturbed about Bugenhagen to be able to think of one aside from the original story and told her I would tell her one another time.

The main topic of the day though was on what we were going to do about the reactors that drained the planet especially now that we had seen the planetarium. Needless to say that Barret was all for charging back to Midgar and blowing all the reactors sky high. We had to remind him several times we had no means of getting in to Midgar much less actually getting there. He was placated slightly when Zack informed him there was a reactor in Nibelheim and that we were quickly approaching the village. Zack even promised that we would blow up the place since it was so remote.

That evening right before stopping, the mountains that surrounded the village had begun to come into view and both Cloud and Tifa were becoming visibly quieter, even borderline fearful.

Knowing that tomorrow would be a difficult day, I pushed past the discomfort I still felt from Bugen and told a Jedi story as we all gathered around the campfire. This time I told an edited version Revan, a talented Jedi who circumvented the Jedi counsel in order to gain the support he needed to finally end a genocide started by a battle-hungry clan known as the Mandalorians. I told of how he led his forces, encountered Sith teachings even as he fought, and then entered unknown regions to try to hunt down the stragglers of the Mandalorians and ceased all communications. That was where I ended.

Zack was the one who most visibly enjoyed the story and he whooped several times, most notably when Revan circumvented the counsel.

Red declared that the counsel sounded very similar to how Cosmo Canyon's elders were chosen.

Aeris seemed surprised about the major differences that existed between Hestizo and Revan. Her questions about their differences eventually led to me explaining the different classes of Jedi: the Guardians who did most of the fighting when it needed to be done, the Consulars who sought to stop disputes through diplomacy, and finally the Sentinels who worked most closely with civilians and learned extra skills other than just Jedi ones.

I noticed Kunsel giving me a sideways glance then and did my best to appear as though I didn't notice, grinning as Yuffie began to demand who I thought would win in a fight: a Jedi or a ninja. My response was quite firmly that a Jedi Knight could trounce a ninja.

Tifa and Cloud thankfully seemed to relax for the time of the story and as we all turned in that night I made a point to check Kunsel's mind as he slept.

Kunsel was brilliant; that much I could tell the moment I encountered his mind. He categorized everything about everyone and everything so finding his thoughts and observations on me wasn't that difficult. The former SOLDIER had noticed several things about me alright, the first of them being the night we had left Kalm when he thought he saw a hammer jump into my hand. He'd dismissed it at the time but was now starting to reconsider. The elevator guard in Junon was also starting to raise an alarm for him and I was somewhat glad he hadn't been there to see me flip Hojo. He had noticed the strange sudden appearance of the weapon I had "found" for Aeris on the tracks outside of Corel though. The conclusion he was coming to was that I did have a power but so long as he saw no sign of me using it against him or anyone else in AVALANCE he wouldn't call me on it. Jedi were simply filed under fiction for now though.

Satisfied that I wouldn't have any problem for a while longer, I turned over in my sleeping bag and let myself fall asleep.

Rising early the next morning, Cloud and Tifa were right back to being obviously disturbed about our location and I knew it was going to get worse.

"Think we'll see the ruins?" I heard Tifa murmur as we packed up and got ready to leave.

Nibelheim came into view right before noon that day and Cloud became visibly sullen. Knowing he was in for a bit of a shock I did my best to ignore his sullen behavior and tried to get Tifa to tell us how she came to live in Midgar. Needless to say that didn't work too well either.

When we reached the edge of the town, Cloud, who had been driving at the time, brought the buggy to a very sudden stop. I had been standing at the time and promptly found myself sitting on Zack while Barret tried to disentangle himself from Red. Luckily everyone else had been sitting at the time.

"Cloud! The hec-" Cloud must not have heard Zack since he had already jerked the door open and rushed out, Tifa on his heels. The rest of us glanced at one another before jumping out as well.

"…Nibelheim…" Cloud stared at the rebuilt town, disbelief evident in his face and voice.

"I thought this place burned down," Barret said as he moved up to offer Tifa some support since the young woman was shaking.

Zack walked next to Cloud. "Nibelheim did burn, but for some reason or another it was rebuilt. You just didn't notice when we…" Zack trailed off, obviously not wanting to think of the time.

"They bombed Banora and the repercussions were felt all over even if people didn't know what happened. Maybe Shinra wanted to try something a bit more subtle this time." I offered this explanation even as Tifa walked further into the town and stared around at the various houses. "Though I don't know how this could be called subtle to anyone who knows or may have survived."

The streets were empty of all people though I knew there were some about. A sudden call from the planet caused me to move into the square also then towards a nondescript wall cut from the surrounding rock.

"Let's see if we can ask questions and check into the inn," I heard someone say distantly, even as the soil called to me that it held something. Reaching down I dug my fingers into the soil and pulled it back and stared at what I found.

"Maybe the other survivors came back and rebuilt the town," I heard Aeris offer the explanation as I stood.

"I don't think so Aeris. The villagers wouldn't have left this." Everyone turned their heads to where I was standing and joined me. The grave was shallow, only about five inches down, but they saw what I saw immediately, the obviously human skull that looked to still be attached to the neck of the person it had belonged to.

Aeris's eyes filled with tears when she saw the fate of this person even as Kunsel started to quiz Tifa on Nibelheim's traditional burial rites. Cloud moved several feet over and dug his own fingers into the soil, unearthing another bone as well. Red joined a moment later as did Zack and we came upon another grisly discovery: these people didn't even receive the courtesy of private graves; this was a pit they had discarded all the corpses in.

"Man, I'm glad I managed to save that one kid's mother," Zack murmured, looking visibly ill. He rose then and escorted Aeris to the inn since she looked very ill over the discovery.

Rising myself, I glanced around and realized that Tifa wasn't around and Cloud was disappearing into a house. Rushing after him without a thought, I found him arguing with a woman who claimed to have lived there her entire life. He was almost in tears even as she demanded to know why he was lying.

Kunsel had followed me into the house and as I grabbed Cloud he rounded on the woman.

"Pathetic! Can't you see your lies are causing him so much pain? His mother lived here!" Kunsel's roar followed Cloud and me out of the house and I was quick to get us next door to what I knew had to be Tifa's house. We found her at the base of the stairs staring at one of the men or women that were draped in the black shrouds.

"This was my house…" Tifa murmured before walking up the stairs, looking to be in a trance. Cloud pulled away from me and followed her at a rushed pace and I reluctantly followed even as Cait Sith burst through the door.

Tifa unsurprisingly had run all the way up to her room and Cloud had followed her. He was tapping at the piano while she wandered the room, pulling at various drawers, inspecting articles here and there, exclaiming "This wasn't like this" or "This isn't right" as she yanked at what was supposed to be her belongings.

Walking to the desk, I yanked open the drawer and quickly found the research notes that Tifa had somehow missed throughout her ransacking of the room. Picking through them, I can honestly say that I was disgusted though I already knew what they said.

Turning, I saw that Tifa had sat down on the bed in the room and Cloud was sitting next to her, doing his level best to try to comfort her. Wordlessly I handed the notes to him and left the room, pushing by Cait Sith who had been watching from the doorway. Marching into the next bedroom, obviously either her parents' bedroom or a guestroom, I grabbed the black cowl of what was wandering around the room and yanked it down, staring at the pale, hairless face underneath that had sunken cheeks and eyes.

Moments later a very distraught Tifa ran down the stairs with an equally upset Cloud yelling for her not to go alone. Seeing as I was the only person left in the house, Cait Sith wandered into the room even as I tried to make the former resident of Nibelheim to look me in the eye.

"Who were you?" I asked firmly.

"Se… phi... roth… Where are… you?" The voice was raspy and I still couldn't tell if this was a man or a woman.

"Sephiroth is elsewhere, who are you?" I tried directing them to look me in the eye again and contemplated trying to enter their mind to see if I could awaken something but discarded the notion. As terrible of a fate as this may be, it would be worse for me to awaken them to themselves and for them to remember the perversion done to them by Hojo.

"Gr… eat Seph…iroth…" was all I got for my trouble.

Disgusted I pulled away from the person and realized just how Hojo had wanted Cloud and Zack to be for them to be considered "successful". They would have just been shells of themselves, no memory of themselves, just driven to Sephiroth.

"What is going on lassie?" Cait demanded when I turned to walk back to the hall. "What has the other lass so upset?"

Spying the notes scattered on the ground, obviously having been thrown by Tifa, I grabbed several up and handed them to the cat. "These are notes left by Shinra scientists talking about how they rebuilt the town and hired people to claim they are residents. Also outlined are notes on clones and wanting them to leave the town."

"So that's why Tifa looked so upset." Kunsel had appeared at the top of the stairs now, Yuffie a step behind him.

"Is the lass alright?" Cait asked.

"Cloud's taking her to the inn to calm down. I want to get a better look at the Shinra mansion in this town though." I nodded as I followed him down the stairs, Cait Sith right behind me.

"Perhaps we should bring Cloud or Barret along with us," Yuffie suggested as we trooped down the stairs.

"Bring us where?" A loud voice demanded and Barret appeared at the bottom of the stairs accompanied by Red.

"To investigate the Shinra mansion." Kunsel stated as he pushed the door open and trooped back out onto the street. The lot of us followed him to the inn and ignored the shouts of the innkeeper as we ran up the stairs.

Aeris had visibly calmed when we reached the room and Tifa seemed more angry now than upset.

Zack glanced over at us as we entered the room. "I know you guys were looking forward to the possibility of sleeping in beds tonight but I think we're better off if we just keep going. And we can't take the buggy into the mountains so we should get our stuff from it."

"Something stinks here beyond what has happened to the buildings," Barret spoke first.

"And that's why we should just keep going!" Zack declared.

"What happened to you and Cloud happened here, right?" I demanded, knowing I was making an underhanded blow. "You're not thinking of everything else that may have happened."

Zack glared at me then. "I have a right to be! You saw how Cloud was when we first met and that was after we'd been on the run for days! You don't know what happened to us down there."

I wasn't allowed to answer due to Tifa grabbing me and walking me out the door. "I have a right to know what happened to my hometown!" she yelled back through the door. Cloud joined us moments later as did Aeris and everyone save for Zack.

"So, Shinra is even more rotten than I thought," Yuffie's murmur sounded almost gleeful.

Kunsel looked uncomfortable as we approached the mansion though. "They did something to my friend and all these people. I want to know what."

"Be careful what you wish for," Cloud surprised everyone.

We all slipped easily into the mansion and stood in the foyer, mostly uncertain of where to start. Yuffie ended up setting the pace by starting to look around and finding the sheet of paper with Hojo's note.

"I must get rid of all those that stand in the way of my research. Even that one from the Turks. I scientifically altered him, and put him to sleep in the basement. If you want to find him, then search the area. But… this is merely a game I thought of. It is not necessary for you to participate if you don't want to." She read the note aloud for all to hear then stared at the note again. "Sweet! It says to open the safe using the code we find using these clues! Treasure!"

"It just means the key will be there, probably," Kunsel stated with a groan as he snagged the note from her. "Still, this guy must have some information on what has happened."

Aeris perked up. "So, we're going to help him?"

"Yeah, now the clues are: Dial 1 – The lid of the box with the most oxygen. Dial 2 – Behind the ivories short of tea and ray. Dial 3 – The creak in the floor near the chair on the second floor… then to the left five steps, up nine steps, left two steps and up six steps."

"Three clues?" Yuffie puffed slightly. "I know safes and we need four numbers."

Grabbing the note from Kunsel, I smoothed the note out on a nearby table and stares at it. We didn't have a stove readily available or an incandescent light bulb and I was not going to even attempt heating the paper using a fire materia. Reaching into my pack, I yanked out a flashlight and studied the paper closely for indents from a pen since the note was written by hand. "Right… Ninety… seven?" I asked, suddenly angry that I didn't have this code memorized.

Cloud stepped up beside me and studied the note himself then nodded. "Right ninety-seven is the last number. Ok, let's split into three teams to find the other three numbers. When you find the number be sure to write it down and we'll meet back here at the foot of the stairs."

The groups were chosen with Cloud, Aeris, and Red looking for the "lid of the box with the most oxygen", Kunsel, Tifa, and I looking for "the ivories short of tea and ray", and Yuffie, Cait, and Barret following the step-by-step directions for clue number three.

Luckily Tifa played the piano so she needed no hints from me the moment her eyes found the piano in the parlor. Unsurprisingly, we were the first ones back to the base of the stairs and got to hear the various yells and bangs from Barret and Yuffie as they tried to follow the directions on the slip of paper.

"And to think I suggested they look for that clue since I didn't think they could mess it up." Kunsel groaned as another bang sounded and Barret's loud voice demanded to know how a wall got in front of him. Several minutes later Cloud, Red, Aeris, and Cait joined us, each having found their clues while Yuffie and Barret continued to argue over who was going in the right direction.

They managed to stop when Tifa called out to them that we had the numbers and were going to open the safe and I laughed when they came from the right instead of the left.

Cloud was the one who put the numbers into the safe and right as the door swung open, a large blob of red and purple poured from the safe and seemed to inflate before us.

Cloud, Kunsel, and Tifa wer already inside the room and immediately launched forward with their physical attacks, landing hard blows despite the confined space. From the doorway Red managed to push through between everyone's legs and joined the battling three while Barret took the top portion of the door, Aeris and I shared the middle, and Cait Sith jumped off his Mog and covered the lower portion of the door. We launched spells and attacks though none of us dared to even try to summon.

"Hey! Let me through, I can't see anything!" Yuffie demanded from behind those of us at the door as Cloud made a strike at the purple side, eyes widening as his sword bounced off even as a fire spell impacted the area and left a rather large mark. Kunsel who was attacking the red side was having much better luck, his sword cutting deeply into the hide of the monster. Tifa and Red both seemed to notice and focused their attacks on that side as well.

A large howl cut through the air then causing even Yuffie to pause in her rants, then the monster changed completely into a large purple monster and sent one of its large tentacle-like arms at the door.

Those of us in the door scattered instantly as the arm slapped at the frame though Aeris did try to cast an ice spell at the appendage. Yuffie whooped and jumped through the door as soon as it was clear, ready for a fight.

Retaking our positions around the door, Barret loudly cursed when he saw that the physical attacks of Kunsel, Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie were all to no avail. Even his bullets bounced off and seemed to have no effect.

Red was the first to try a magic spell and he shot a fire straight at the beast. The scorch mark that appeared acted as the catalyst that got everyone firing with their materia.

Kunsel had an ice of his own and a gravity spell. Cloud used ice also and lightning. Yuffie had acquired a fire somewhere and Tifa used a restore to heal those who had been fighting close range.

The monster looked very odd by now, covered in patches of ice, burns, scorches, and several places looked rather green. The thing seemed to deflate bit by bit, even as it swept its arm at Cloud and knocked the swordsman into a wall. While the rest of us retaliated, Tifa healed Cloud and he was up and casting again.

Finally the safe monster just seemed to collapse inward on itself and seeped into the floor as an ooze. No one bothered to stop Yuffie from grabbing the materia left behind. Red zeroed in on another item entirely that looked to be a scroll of some sort even as Kunsel reached into the safe and extracted the key.

"This is… it can't be…" Red was staring at the book as though it was the Holy Grail and I guess for him it would be.

"Cosmo Memory, sounds like it belongs in Cosmo Canyon," I stated as I picked up the scroll, Red's eyes following my hand the whole while. "Think we should give this to Bugenhagen next time we see him?" I asked Red with a grin.

"That is a treasure of my race!" Red declared hotly. "Shinra has no rights to it."

"Then it's yours. Would you like to carry it or prefer someone else to hold it?"

Red studied each of us in turn before his eyes landed on Aeris. "Would you mind?" he asked and received a smile and a nod from the young woman. I handed her the scroll as we all left the room.

"So, now we look for the basement," Barret said as we left the room. "Anyone see any stairs?"

Everyone shook their heads in the negative so we decided to split up once again. This time I was paired with Yuffie so I had no problem convincing her to stay on the top floor, pointing out that most forgotten articles would be up here. We went through the rooms, searching for anything we could use and found a surprising amount of gil. When we finally reached the room that I knew held the secret passage, I ran to the wall as Yuffie started poking through the end table.

A quick search of the wall revealed the switch that I knew had to be there and the door opened, revealing the plank-way that descended down into the darkness.

"Cloud, Cait, everyone! I found something!" I shouted out the door and immediately the sound of running feet could be heard.

"Woah!" Barret declared as he passed through the doorway, Red, Aeris, and Tifa close behind him.

"That looks familiar…" Cloud murmured as he stared at the hidden door.

I shrugged and stared down the hole then pulled out my flashlight, flicked it on, and studied the place. "We'll have to go single file and spaced. This doesn't look all that steady, but it is definitely deep enough to go down to a basement."

"Okay then, I'll go first," Cloud declared as he walked out onto the planks that descended down the hole. I followed him, illuminating the way with my flashlight, Cait Sith jumped off his mog and followed, Aeris after him, then Tifa, Red, Yuffie, Barret, and Kunsel brought up the rear.

The walk was a slow one. The planks groaned and creaked alarmingly and I seriously wished that this place resembled the environment displayed in Crisis Core. Behind me I heard Aeris gasp once when she slipped and caught herself on the wall and Barret didn't sound like he was walking regularly either.

Solid ground didn't come soon enough and then we were walking slowly up the corridor, weapons drawn. Cait Sith had climbed back onto his mog as well and held his megaphone at ready. Though I still hadn't received a lesson, I even had my sword out and was prepared to strike at any blood sucking bats I saw.

Cloud was the one to spy the door that was off to one side of the corridor and after unlocking it we all slipped in to the room, eyes widening at the coffins in the room. There were also mummy-like forms in the back of the room that ranged in size from very small to adult. I made a point to not shine the flashlight in the direction again.

"Was this town made to simulate a horror movie?" Aeris asked as Barret, Cloud, and Kunsel knocked on the lids of the various coffins.

"...To wake me from the nightmare. Who is it?" The lid of a coffin that Kunsel had just knocked on flew off and caused most of us to jump. Even I grabbed Cait Sith as he jumped and Aeris grabbed my arm. Yuffie let loose a small scream while Red's hair stood on end.

From his coffin Vincent sat up and studied each of us in turn, his eyes lingering on Cloud the longest. "...Never seen you before. You must leave."

Cloud returned the Vincent's red gaze without backing down. "You were having a nightmare."

"We woke you up. Ya outta be thanking us." Barret was elbowed by Tifa then.

"We found a note upstairs indicating that you were locked down here by a mad man," I finally added.

"Hmph… A nightmare... My long sleep has given me time to atone." Vincent's voice and face were devoid of emotion but you could feel his sadness, it seemed a tangible thing in the air.

"What are you saying?" Cloud asked, he wasn't begging, but he was beseeching.

"I have nothing to say to strangers, get out. This mansion is the beginning of your nightmares." Kunsel huffed angrily at Vincent's words which drew the gunner's attention.

"Nightmare?" He declared loudly. "You want a nightmare? I have a friend that Shinra told me was dead but was actually brought here and used for experiments. Five of our group have been used as specimens by Shinra's resident mad man, Hojo, for experiments. Hell, we all might have been if Sephiroth-"

"Sephiroth?" Vincent's interruption was punctuated by the uncharacteristic widening of his eyes.

"You know Sephiroth?" Vincent and Cloud asked in unison. Vincent flipped out of his coffin then, floating down easily onto the back of the coffin. It was truly mesmerizing to watch. In my arms I felt Cait Sith wiggle a little so I set him down on his mog.

"You first," Vincent indicated towards Cloud. Cloud looked unsure but finally told Vincent what he knew of that had happened, of how Sephiroth had discovered the contents of the mansion and gone insane. Of his burning Nibelheim and murdering the townspeople then fighting at the reactor. He even told about us meeting, the capture of Aeris and me that led to them being in the Shinra HQ when Sephiroth came through and murdered a number of the people, including the President and now we were all chasing him with the intent of trying to keep him from reaching the "Promised Land". During all of this Vincent listened quietly and intently, never saying a word. I was fighting down a yawn since I had heard the story so many times now.

"And that's how it is," Cloud finished.

"So Sephiroth found out how he was created five years ago? And about the Jenova project? He was missing, but recently reappeared. He has taken many lives, and seeks the Promised Land?" He said all of this out loud but it was easy to see it was rhetorical.

"Now it's your turn," pushed Cloud.

"I'm sorry... I can't speak."

"What?" Kunsel demanded, visibly angered over being denied answers.

"Hearing your story has added upon me yet another sin. More nightmares shall come to me now, more than I previously had... please... leave." He flipped back into his coffin then, intent to return to his self-loathing.

Kunsel wasted no time, grabbing Cloud's arm and giving the coffin a kick before turning back to us. "We'll find our own answers," he announced as he pushed us all back through the door.

"That sounds more like it!" Barret declared as we walked down the tunnel towards the lab. I guess I was going to be trying to get Vincent out of his coffin again after the Sephiroth encounter.

The lab looked horrific and that was speaking in a very light manner. Blood, spilt and dried long ago stained the medical table. Dust and rust was everywhere and one of the large test tube-like chambers was busted, the one Zack obviously escaped from. All around I felt the cold all over again calling to me, but it wasn't overwhelming because these weren't fallen souls pulling at me, they were the tortured memories of many different victims of unspeakable crimes. And underneath it all, I again heard that scream…

"Sephiroth!" Cloud had moved into the small hallway leading from the lab to an office.

"Being here brings back memories." The silver haired man focused his eyes on Cloud now. "Are you going to participate in the Reunion?"

"I don't even know what the Reunion is!" Cloud yelled, his form shaking.

"Jenova will be at the Reunion. Jenova will join the Reunion and become the Calamity from the Skies." I made a point to gasp at what he had said.

"Jenova, a Calamity from the Skies? You mean she wasn't an Ancient?" Sephiroth's smile dropped.

"...I see. I don't think you have a right to participate. I will go north past Mt. Nibel. If you wish to follow... then follow. You are more than welcome to bring guests." Sephiroth's grin returned while looking at the group, everyone shuddered.

"Reunion? Calamity of the skies? Sephiroth you aren't making any sense!"

Sephiroth's grin stayed in place as he threw a materia at Cloud, catching him solidly in the stomach before the former General levitated off the ground and flew past us.

"Cloud!" Tifa called, rushing over to him. Nobody, not even Yuffie, approached the materia Sephiroth had thrown.

Kunsel stood angrily and marched through to what looked to be the main office. I noticed more doors that you didn't see in the game for the first time as I watched his progress.

"What did he find here?" Kunsel demanded as he grabbed up a book, flipping through it before tossing it aside and grabbing another. He was joined after a moment by Barret.

I reached for a book myself, it was grisly but I admit that I did want to know what had happened here. I also knew that Hojo had something to do with the events in Dirge of Cerberus, so maybe I could get a clue of what here. I was stopped by Aeris.

"Rachas, what is a Calamity from the Skies?" she asked loudly, drawing the attention of everyone.

Glancing around, I took a deep breath. "The Calamity from the Sky was said to happen many years ago, around two thousand if I remember correctly. When it happened, a horrific being descended upon Gaia, intent to take the planet for her own, either to rule or destroy. The people managed to stop her though but her corpse was said to still have consciousness because she couldn't be absorbed by the planet."

"Then if Jenova can become-" I interrupted her there.

"You can't just become a Calamity Aeris, you just ARE that way. Jenova IS the Calamity from so long ago."

Kunsel grunted as he pulled another book from a shelf while almost everyone else stared at me in shock.

Red is the one to finally piece together some of the vague information I had presented. "If she is a corpse, even with consciousness, there is no way she is the mother of Sephiroth."

I nodded as I grabbed a book that was labeled "Crescent" and found the information of Lucrecia Crescent flooding my mind. All the data she had accumulated on the various demons that were placed in Vincent and another being called Omega. This must have been something Hojo had studied before experimenting on Vincent. It took a bit of effort but I managed to let go of the book, dropping it into my pack.

"I'm bringing some of these along," Kunsel announced as the rest of us moved about the lab, me wandering back into the main lab. I noticed then that Cloud had picked up the materia thrown by Sephiroth.

"It's DeBarrier," he stated upon noticing my interest. I felt my eyes widen as I remembered this particular materia. In the game it wasn't so bad, but here it meant something else entirely.

"Put it away," I ordered, not even wanting to look at the thing.

"It's just a materia," Cloud replied as he began to slot it into an empty slot on his sword, but I swatted the materia away, causing it to roll under a nearby bookcase. "Why'd you do that?"

I stared at Cloud, agitated myself. "The final form of that materia is Death. Sephiroth is promising death if you continue!"

Cloud's eyes widened at my words then everyone jumped when Zack came barreling through the door.

"I saw Sephiroth! Is everyone ok?" He demanded as he raced around the room and grabbed everyone including Barret and Cait Sith. After doing his version of a head count, he seemed to calm down significantly though he looked ill about being in this room.

Kunsel finally seemed to finish his search and entered the lab with a large pile of books. He shoved several into my arms rather roughly and I stumbled back into the lab table and felt my breath freeze as memories screamed up at me. Dozens of people screamed their pain, and many took their last breaths on this horrific slab. In better detail than I ever wanted I finally saw some of what Cloud and Zack had gone through here. The visions were interrupted by Cait Sith when he helped me stand again, leaning on his mog, I came very close to kissing the cat.

Surprisingly I felt nothing from the books and surmised that it was probably because the writer either wasn't strong of mind or wasn't suffering anything at the time of their writing.

We left then, and at my insistence, we visited Vincent again.

"Hey, I saw this guy down here five years ago when Sephiroth, Cloud, and I visited!" Zack declared when the coffin lid blew off.

Vincent showed no emotion though one his eyebrows rose. "You're still here."

"Who are you; at least tell us your name." Cloud once again was our spokesman.

"I was with... the Shinra Department of Administrative Research. Otherwise known as..." He struggled to remember for a second. "The Turks...Vincent."

"The Turks?" Cloud burst out.

"Hojo's note did indicate he was a Turk," I reminded everyone, but that didn't cause anyone to put away their weapons.

"Formerly... of the Turks," he emphasized the word formerly. "I have no affiliation with Shinra now... and you?" He focused now on the group again. Cloud stepped forward.

"Cloud, formerly of SOLDIER."

"You were also in Shinra? Then do you know Lucrecia?" He actually sounded a little hopeful.

"Who?" Vincent's small hope must have died painfully.

"...Lucrecia." Vincent stated. Cloud shook his head. "The woman who gave birth to Sephiroth." That got everyone's attention.

"Gave... birth... I thought Jenova was Sephiroth's mother." Cloud said, confused. Vincent just blinked.

"That isn't completely wrong, but just a theory. He was born from a beautiful lady. She was Lucrecia, an assistant to Professor Gast of the Jenova project. Beautiful...Lucrecia..."

"A human experiment," Cloud concluded.

"That's horrible, how could someone do that?" Tifa exclaimed.

"There was no way to cancel the experiment." He looked back down. "I couldn't stop her. That is my sin. I let the one I loved, the one I respected the most, face the worst."

"So you lock yourself up to make up for it? That's weird." Yuffie stated as she stared at him, but even she sounded slightly choked.

Vincent gave no other indication of listening, instead choosing to settle back into his coffin as the lid resettled over him.

I couldn't just leave him like that, so even as everyone else started to file out I walked up to the coffin. "You say you want to atone for your supposed sins, what better way than in using the gifts you have to stop Hojo from doing what he did to Lucrecia from ever happening again? Or in showing your respect to her by stopping her offspring who gives her title to a Calamity?"

Vincent didn't stir as I turned to leave the room, but just as the game indicated, as our party moved toward the plank-way, Vincent came running after us.

"Wait!" He called as he ran after us. "If I go with you, will I meet Hojo?"

"Don't know, but we're after him and Sephiroth. So I guess sooner or later..."

"Lucrecia... I've decided to join you." The reactions were varied. Some like Aeris and Barret were shocked, Tifa was surprised, Cait Sith seemed irritated, Red had little emotion, and Cloud and Zack looked thoughtful.

"Being a former Turk, I may be of help to you."

"Alright then," Kunsel announced and then we were all moving again, this time with Vincent bringing up the rear.

"Alright! Shinra better beware, we now have their vampire on our side!" Yuffie cheered. Since I was behind her I gave her a head swat then shot Vincent an apologetic look.


	26. Chapter 26

Tori: Yay! We're finding more time to write!

SA: (swats Tori's head) Because Saria aggravated her injury!

Tori: Ow…

Zas: Can't be that bad.

Saria: Yeah, I can still walk! It just hurts a little.

zzzzzzzzzz

We didn't stay in Nibelheim that night, though I don't think anyone wanted to after what we had found in the Shinra Mansion. Zack was almost immediately pushing everyone towards the mountain path the moment we had exited the mansion.

"Zack, wait!" Tifa declared despite the march. "We have eleven people now, we need one more tent!"

Zack didn't slow down at all. "Then the watch tonight can trade off with whoever is getting up next."

"I'll sleep outside," Red volunteered.

"What did you grab in there?" I demanded from Kunsel as the path began to slope upwards and everyone started to take longer steps to try to keep moving.

"Research notes and books, just about anything I found that contained information about Jenova, Sephiroth, or Ancients."

I swatted him with one of the books. "We're called _Cetra._" I informed him.

Kunsel grunted but didn't retaliate. "I'll be drawing on you for whatever information you may have as well."

"Why thank you for giving me a choice Professor," I responded, earning a sigh from Kunsel.

"So where are we headed now?" Aeris's voice interrupted our argument as we continued the climb.

"First the reactor, then we'll be headed to the other side of this damn mountain." Cloud was the one to answer this time. "I want to make sure that that reactor is permanently stopped, and then we'll get Sephiroth."

"Anyone have a bomb?" Zack asked as we continued the hike, soon leaving the main trail and using various small trails that eventually led us to the materia caves in his story and we were all treated to the sight of the natural mako springs.

Aeris and I both heard the voices of the Planet now, and very clearly at that. All around us the voices and spirits of people long gone circled around, whispering of the planet and all they had seen.

When we exited the caves at last everyone agreed it was too late to continue and we started to pitch the tents. Watches were decided and I was surprised to find I was automatically nominated for the last shift.

In the fading light of the day though I helped Kunsel start with the initial reading and compiling of the books. Apparently he had chosen them based on the summary written on the inside cover of the books so he had a good idea of what they contained.

We didn't really read them yet, just started compiling them, determining which ones would be good for what information.

We packed up and went to bed as soon as the sun had set since everyone felt exhausted from the long day we had had. Vincent took the first shift without complaint; I guess he had had enough sleep for a while.

I was awakened by Barret for my shift at watch and walked out without complaint. There was some wood for the fire but not enough for my shift so I gathered more quickly then sat at the edge of camp and stared up at the stars. This time as I observed, an old spirit of a long dead Cetra whispered to me about the stars, telling me of the constellations.

_**Shinra**_

Reeve sighed as yet another report was sent in by Cait Sith, this one detailing what had happened in a town called Nibelheim. He had been trying to step back some from the situation at hand but bit by bit as he read the report he had come to realize that he wasn't going to be able to turn a blind eye.

What had happened to the town was nothing short of cold-blooded and to see actual residents denied their home was terrible. He hadn't wanted to believe and then Rachas had handed Cait Sith those terrible reports left by some idiot scientist. She hadn't seemed at all surprised, though there was definite sadness in her eyes.

He could understand Zack's wish to keep moving, but he also felt that if Cloud and Tifa wished to continue and find out what happened to their home they had every right.

Then they had reached the Shinra Mansion and discovered a treasure that belonged to the one named Red before he had logged in yesterday, right in time to be seriously surprised as Cait Sith when the lid of the coffin containing Vincent had been blown off. His jerk had caused the robot to jump and to his surprise he was grabbed and hugged by the blond Ancient. The woman had held him for a few minutes until he wiggled a bit and she took that as a sign that he wanted to be set down.

He had logged out almost immediately after and had left for the day. Today though, as he logged in, he felt himself prepared for anything. He almost felt relieved to see that AVALANCHE was still in their camp and had peeped out to see who was on watch. Seeing no one in the immediate vicinity he had directed Cait's body out to take a look around.

He spied Rachas then, sitting right outside of the encampment with her eyes turned to the sky. It was a strange sight, but as good of a time as any to try to see if he had missed anything from the day before.

_**Normal**_

The old Cetra had quieted down a while ago and I was left with just the normal voices of the Planet and the stars. Now seeing several constellations roving through the sky, I felt more at ease under them though I still couldn't locate the pinpoint that could possibly be the star that was my home.

A faint rustling caught my attention then and I was surprised to find that it was Cait Sith who was up and about instead of Red.

"Good morning," I called to him. "What are you doing up already?"

The slightly guarded expression alerted me immediately to the controller being Reeve and for once I didn't care. Yesterday had left me feeling sickened and I needed to vent in some way.

"Mornin' lass!" The little robot chirped in response. "Found I couldn't sleep."

"Yesterday?" I asked and when the cat robot nodded slightly I scooped him up into my lap, hugging him slightly. "I think everyone is disturbed by what happened yesterday, even if they don't say so."

"What disturbed ya, lass?"

"Everything. That rebuilt town, the skeleton pit, those labs… Shinra went to obscene lengths to cover this up rather than attempt to help the survivors. Just think of what happened to Zack and Cloud, what happened to the survivors other than Tifa?"

Cait Sith wriggled slightly so I let him go then. "Tifa is a good example that not everything went wrong."

"Then where are the other survivors? Why are there people in that fake town who claim to have been there for so long when Tifa and Cloud don't recognize them? You saw the reports so you know the place is rebuilt and it seems to be the grounds where an experiment happened."

The robot was silent for a moment then sat down again. "How do you deal with it? The Planet tells you everything so you must have heard about Nibelheim."

"You do what you can," was my simple response. At Cait Sith's inquiring look I decided to elaborate. "I once accepted a job where I needed to deliver a medicine for a kid's surgery within a certain timeframe. The weather was terrible, bad enough that everyone else stopped flying, but if I didn't go then that kid might not have survived. Taking a shot at something is the only way we can make a difference about anything."

Cait Sith was silent for a few moments then turned his eyes upward. "Ya were lookin at the stars before I came. Don't see those very clearly in too many places."

"They're beautiful, ne?" Unconsciously I reached out and gently stroked the cat's ears and went back to enjoying the sight of the stars. "If you're feeling disturbed and want to talk, I'm willing to listen."

Red joined us several minutes later and sat quietly on my other side and none of us spoke for the rest of the time that it took for the stars to fade and the sun to rise.

Zack and Barret both got up right as the sun rose and declared they were heading for the reactor. Seeing as how no one else was up yet, Red volunteered to go with them. Zack surprised us by telling Red to stay here in camp and the two headed out.

Tifa was visibly angered when she rose ten minutes later and realized what they had done but decided it was probably for the best. Cloud wasn't so easily convinced and actually did take Red up on the offer to go to the reactor with him.

An explosion could be heard fifteen minutes later and then the four returned almost twenty minutes after. Barret and Zack looked almost content. Cloud's expression though was unreadable.

The reactor was the furthest up the mountain that either Cloud or Tifa had ever been so we quickly found that they were guessing which direction to go afterwards. There were several times that we split into groups and searched various trails and by midday I could tell almost everyone was tired. Mountain climbing took a lot of energy and though our group was pretty much in shape most of us weren't used to such an activity, heavens knew I wasn't.

A stop was called just after the afternoon was half spent when Aeris fell and reported the roof of her mouth felt numb and I honestly confessed that I didn't feel as though I were in much better shape.

After that point Cloud, Zack, and Kunsel continued searching the mountain while the rest of us set up camp and then either hunted, did maintenance on weapons, or in my case pulled out some of the research notes and books Kunsel snagged in the lab and started trying to read through the happenings. What I found when I reached the Jenova Project and read through the details and theories had me gagging. I may not have been able to read the scientific equations or formulas for the most part, but Hojo seemed to enjoy writing everything down, including the way his subjects screamed and what incisions he made. Sephiroth wasn't the only child they had produced in the Jenova Project, but he was the only one to survive, that much was apparent.

Grisly and disturbing as it was I couldn't stop reading though I made sure to take notes on the book that I wanted nothing more than to toss into our campfire.

_**Shinra**_

The newest report about AVALANCHE meeting with Sephiroth had confirmed what Rufus had suspected was going to happen. The former idol of Shinra was headed to the North Continent and currently they had no way to follow him. A helicopter wouldn't be practical even if they could make it across the ocean and the airships were still down.

For a moment the young President thought about the impounded airplane that had belonged to the blond Cetra but dismissed the idea. They didn't have anyone currently who knew how to fly that thing and he didn't want to have someone learning on such an important task.

Grabbing his computer he started to scroll through the lists they had on all the people, past and present, who were pilots for Shinra. It was a surprisingly short list once he cut out all who were either dead or only rated for helicopters. In fact there were only seven names, of which three of them only had training in airships, two were retired, and one had had a mental breakdown recently because his home had been in Sector 7 and he seemed certain that he wasn't supposed to be alive currently. That left just one name: Cid Highwind.

Pulling up a file Rufus was pleased to see that the man was a first rate pilot, possibly one of the best Shinra had ever had. His specialty was in airships but he knew how to fly fixed-wing. In fact, there was even a note that he had built a small plane in Rocket Town which he had named the "Tiny Bronco".

Picking up his phone, he promptly called one of his secretaries. "I want for you to call the residence of a Mr. Cid Highwind and tell him that the President of Shinra would like a meeting with him."

_**Normal**_

We started out again early the next day. By this time just about everyone was sore from the climbing we had done yesterday and there were quite a few sour attitudes.

When we finally arrived at what I recognized as the pipe area that held the big mountain spider monster and I can just say this: thank God!

Tensions were still a bit high due to what we had seen in Nibelheim and Kunsel had begun grilling me on what I had read from the journals the day before. He also wanted to know what I may know about various things that he found in the books such as what powers Cetra may have, legends I may know about Jenova and Calamity of the Skies, and anything he may think of as relevant.

Zack thankfully came to my rescue by wanting to hear another story of the Jedi. I promised to tell one that night.

Cait Sith and Red were mostly silent though they did offer bits and pieces to the conversation between Kunsel and me.

Aeris asked questions whenever the conversation turned to Cetra and proved to know more about Cetra than she had let on.

Barret and Tifa didn't seem to have much they wanted to say, nor did Cloud for that matter.

Vincent's presence was starting to wear on me though. It wasn't that he was loud or anything, but he seemed to stare at my head when I spoke to Kunsel about what I had found in the books, about how Jenova was confused for a Cetra and Sephiroth was created due to that misconception. He proved within the first few hours to be an excellent addition though, the several times we met monsters he was fast to draw his weapon and took down the things before they got close enough to strike at us. Our stores of monster bits and pieces to sell as well as gil grew very fast.

Reaching out to the surrounding power, I tried to weave a web of disinterest around me to force him to stop with the analysis.

_**Vincent**_

Listening to the two who had raided the laboratory and stolen the books that noted the creation of Sephiroth through the Jenova Project made Vincent's stomach twist and go cold as he realized what had happened to Lucrecia's son as he slept. Such horrific experiments done to someone so young…

He felt an old rage begin to build the more he listened and to insure he didn't do something drastic; he appeased the beasts within him by shooting the monsters that came near the group.

At first his shots seemed to surprise most of the group, their large canine called Red even growling at him, but once they realized what he was doing they had calmed down. At this point the two called Yuffie and Barret were making bets about what he would shoot next.

As they entered another cave that should be near the outer edge of the mountains, Chaos suddenly stirred within him, ripping at a faint haze that seemed to be forming around the blond female who seemed to have some knowledge about Ancients, or as she insisted on calling them, Cetra.

The woman flinched slightly, turning surprised eyes on him before attempting to act as though nothing had happened. The gestures were small and fast, and if he hadn't been a trained Turk, he might not have noticed them. Vincent was instantly interested in what had just happened but when he prodded Chaos to tell him what the old demon had refused to say. The beast did offer one hint though: to watch his thoughts around that one.

_**Normal**_

Feeling the cloak that I had woven ripped away had shocked and to be honest frightened me. Glancing back I saw Vincent hadn't changed his expression at all and I longed to be that calm and collected. Should have known though that his beasts wouldn't allow for me to have an easy out like that, especially not Chaos.

We were now standing in front of the five chutes and the stairs that led to lower levels. It was kind of unsurprising what happened next.

"Cool! Bet these slides will lead to treasure!" Yuffie ran first to the slides and started looking into each of them. I couldn't remember which slide went where, but a quick stretch of my senses told me that numbers 3-5 were the safe slides while 1 and 2 took you close to the monster.

"We ain't got time fo-"

"I want to go down this one!" Zack interrupted Barret by running up to the number 2 slide while Yuffie grabbed onto number 1. They both disappeared down the chutes before anyone could say anything.

Kunsel groaned loudly then headed over to the number 1 chute as well. "Can't let them run amok like this. Someone go after Zack and the rest of you pair up and go down the different chutes, odd man out takes the stairs.

I shrugged then headed for the number 5 chute. It might not lead to treasure but I wouldn't be breathing in the face of a monster. I was joined by Tifa while Red and Cait Sith took the number 3 shoot. Cloud jumped into number 2 after Zack, while Aeris approached number 4. Vincent was already headed for the stairs when Barret yelled after him.

"I ain't gonna fit in those pipes! Go with the lady!"

Vincent offered no protest and followed Aeris down the tube as I ducked down mine. Moments later I came face to nose with Red who I offered a smile to then stepped aside as Tifa exited the pipe. Barret came down the stairs then, blinked in surprise that we were right there, then we started walking down the platform to the next ladder.

"You guys were just down one level, so the others can't be that far."

A loud clang sounded moments later and we all saw the ladder to the next level drop down. Red rushed forward then and visibly relaxed when he saw who was on the lower end of the ladder.

"It's just Aeris and Vincent," he called over to us.

Vincent had apparently been trying to regroup and seeing the ladder was up, had opted to try to shoot it down so he and Aeris could reach our level. Seeing as how there was no reason to go back though, the rest of us climbed down to join them on the bottom level.

Knowing there was yet another monster coming, and a big one at that, I checked my materia and insured my sword was handy and ready to go. I also noted that when we got to Rocket Town I was probably going to want to look in on getting a new bangle or armlet.

We didn't find the next pair, Cloud and Zack found us. Or I guess I should say that the two jumped out in front of us to keep us from walking into the chamber that held the monster. I had the benefit of hearing the Planet whisper about them being there so I wasn't surprised, but seeing Barret almost jump out of his skin proved to be fairly therapeutic.

Cloud did a quick head count and we came up with two people still missing: Kunsel and Yuffie.

"Any possibility that you may have passed them coming here?" he whispered but everyone shook their heads in the negative.

"There was only one path the whole way," Tifa whispered and all eyes instantly turned towards the chamber where we heard the shuffling of many feet. I drew my sword the instant the large crab-like monster came into sight but held my ground.

"There." Vincent's golden claw pointed towards a rock formation on the other side of the chamber and we could just make out what looked like the tops of Yuffie's and Kunsel's heads.

"Damn…" Zack murmured when he caught sight of them. "And I thought Cloud and I had a bad landing."

"How're we going to get them?" Aeris asked.

"Wait for that thing to turn around and run to the exit."

"We might be able to make it, but they can't!"

"So, fightin's the only answer!" Barret looked almost pleased by this development.

"Wait," Tifa stopped everyone as she held up a yellow materia that seemed to be a Sense. "Weak against poison, absorbs fire." She dropped the materia and everyone checked their armor and weapons, changing out what materia they had if fire was the element.

I checked my own materia and removed Fire. I didn't have a Poison but Tifa didn't say it was strong against anything. I passed the Choco/Mog to Aeris after insuring that Shiva was equipped and handed my Ice to Cait Sith who still only had the Transform materia.

"You need to be a bit more balanced in your materia," I stated flatly as the cat equipped the Ice into his megaphone. "And don't let Yuffie get her hands on that one."

We waited several moments longer until the crab-like monster had turned around in its pacing. When it was halfway through the room Zack gave the signal for attack.

As Zack and Cloud charged, Barret and Vincent started to fire to cover them while Aeris and I began to cast our spells. The first spell I cast was to pair an All with my Time materia and cast Haste on everyone then switched that one with a Restore materia. My next spell was lightning while Cait Sith cast ice and Red howled as he cast poison before taking off after Zack and Cloud, Tifa on his heels.

Luckily Yuffie and Kunsel seemed to understand what we were doing since Yuffie immediately jumped to the top of a rock and hurled her shuriken while Kunsel leapt out, sword drawn.

The crab greeted its first wave of attackers by raising two of its claws and slashing at them. Both Zack and Cloud caught the appendages on their swords while Tifa and Red slipped through to try to land an attack on what seemed to be the unprotected body. All medium and long range attacks ceased for their charge.

In an amazing display of strength and dexterity for a creature its size, the boss monster leapt, avoiding Tifa and Red's assault and freeing its forward two arms from the stalemate it had with Zack and Cloud. Kunsel, who was attempting to sneak up behind the monster, was left below the monster as it cast a spell that looked not unlike a pyramid and became the first victim of the attack.

"Kunsel!" Yuffie's yell shocked me back to the fight at hand and I saw that the monster's leap had gotten it past our frontline attackers and it was now charging us!

I drew on the power almost automatically and around me the world slowly down to obscene speeds. Aeris and Cait Sith were left in the dust very quickly, then drawing on the Jedi information in my hand; I raised my sword and slashed at the leg of the monster.

The monster proved to be covered in a hard armor, a fact I found out as my sword screeched over the hard surface and left a scratch. No gash, no bleeding, and the monster was in no pain.

Jumping back I mentally cursed. I had been hoping to take out one of the legs of the beast and knock it off balance but that had failed utterly and completely. Barely dodging a swipe from the monster I attempted to retreat to a distance to start spell casting again.

One of Vincent's bullets must have struck true then because an odd formation on the face of the monster suddenly blew and it roared in pain.

"The joints!" Someone yelled and I sensed Zack and Cloud approaching again. Realizing what was meant, I readied my sword once more.

Zack and Cloud once again rushed the monster; this time they jumped high to draw the monster's attention away from the rest of us. Red and Tifa approached from behind this time and I zeroed in on the leg that Red aimed for and as his teeth latched onto the armored leg, I swung at the joint, my blade cutting deeply between the armor plates.

Once more a roar filled the air as everyone jumped away from the monster. This time when I disengaged, I was on the other side of the monster and saw that Kunsel was still down with an injury. Yuffie was next to him, potion in hand.

"I got him!" I called to her as I cast a Cure on him, the wounds receding quickly. He still accepted the potion from Yuffie though.

"Alright," Yuffie jumped up, her bounciness back quite suddenly. "Let's get that thing!" She yelled as she hoisted her shuriken over head again.

"Cover us!" Kunsel ordered as he charged himself.

My lightning spell arced over them, blasting at the monster's side.

A loud "Wark!" sounded moments later and a HUGE chocobo appeared over the monster. It looked like an overfed chick that had grown to be at least four times the size of an average chocobo. Its landing on the monster was rather spectacular, one that I would describe as a hummer suddenly sitting on a truck. When the bird faded it left a rather crushed looking monster.

I had taken the brief distraction as a time to maneuver back to where I had left Cait Sith and Aeris, skirting around the beast. Aeris still looked a bit shocked but woke up pretty fast when I grabbed her.

"It's stunned for right now; let's move so it can't box us in!" Cait Sith and his mog pushed around the hulk of the beast first, Aeris and I following shortly after. Once again we had Zack, Cloud, Red, and Tifa in front of us so we focused on spell casting once more. Cait Sith threw another ice spell then unleashed a scream through his megaphone. Aeris cast a lightning spell as I did the same.

Before us Zack had jumped high once more while Cloud batted at one of the forelegs alongside Kunsel. Tifa finally managed to slip through and land a hard punch and somersault combination on the underbelly of the thing. Red had managed to jump into the face of the thing and was tearing at what looked to be an unprotected area.

Farther back Vincent and Barret had taken posts on some higher rocks and were shooting when they could, Vincent actually jumping into the face of the monster and firing point blank when Red was tossed off.

That final shot from Vincent must have blown apart what little brain the beast had because it went boneless almost instantly. Everyone jumped clear as the monster crashed into a heap on the ground and took a moment to breathe.

Aeris and I made rounds then, checking everyone for injuries that needed healing. Zack and Cloud had several scrapes, Tifa's knuckles were bruised pretty badly, and Red thought he may have overextended his jaw, otherwise injuries were limited.

Kunsel had looted the beast while the healing was going on and surprised me when he handed me a large handful of gil.

"How's your injury?" I asked while shoving the gil into my quickly filling pack.

The former SOLDIER grunted as he swung his arms slightly, obviously testing for any pain, tenderness, or discomfort. "I feel fine. You used a high power spell, didn't you?"

"You were hur-"

"Save your strength next time. We had no idea how much longer that fight could have lasted. What if Yuffie had gotten hurt?"

I realized what he was trying to say and did my best to suppress a laugh. It seemed so cute actually, the soldier and the princess. Wonder why I didn't see this coming sooner.

Several minutes later we had finally exited the cave and were on the path leading down from the mountain. It was almost noon at this point and in less than an hour we were out of those mountains. Luckily Cloud had remembered to bring a map so we started the long around the mountains to Rocket Town.

After the rocky and steep paths of Mt. Nibel walking over flat land seemed amazingly easy and we moved with a great amount of speed. By the time we stopped for the night Cloud was pleased to say that we would reach Rocket Town before midday tomorrow.

The surrounding area where we had stopped was strange in that it seemed to have been picked clean of wood some time ago. The nearest trees where we could gather any were just haze on the horizon, well over a mile away. For the first time in this trip we would be camping without a fire.

Something else that was unfortunate was that we still had no way to bathe. We had filled our canteens several times the past several days from the various mountain streams we passed but there was never enough water, or privacy, or time, to allow us to bathe. Counting back on the days I guess it was no surprise everyone was in such a foul mood. Three days to cross the mountains, two days out from Cosmo Canyon, two days from Gongaga… None of us had bathed for over seven days now with the exception of Vincent who had gone even longer, and we weren't exactly sitting in an air conditioned environment.

Having not had a watch the previous night, there was a chance that I would have one tonight. The choice between the four of us who weren't automatically up tonight and hadn't gone last night was decided by a drawing of straws. I didn't get the short straw so I was off for the night.

That evening with just under an hour left of sunlight, Kunsel and I read further into those books. Oddly enough we were joined by Vincent. When we asked him why his response was that he felt he should know just what he had allowed to happen.

After the sun had set, I followed through with my promise to Zack and told the promised Jedi story. I continued with the adventure of Revan and picked up right where he had entered the unknown regions and cut communication while pursuing the fleeing Mandalorians. The semi-darkness was a wonderful time to tell of Revan's encounter with the Sith, meeting the Lord of the Sith which led to his ultimate fall to darkness, and finally returning to the regions ruled by the council and proclaiming himself to be Darth Revan, the Dark Lord of the Sith.

By this time everyone in the group except Vincent knew that a Sith was a being that pursued selfish goals and most were shocked to hear the charismatic Revan fell to such practices. Yuffie was actually jumping up and down, yelling about how she wanted to kick some sense into Revan. Everyone seemed happy to know that his story wasn't yet complete though.

I woke early the next morning and walked out to find that Cait Sith had apparently drawn the last shift. The little cat robot was actually looking up at the stars.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I walked over to the cat and sat next to him.

Once again the slightly guarded expression was there so I must have been talking to Reeve again. Thinking on that though, technically we were on the other side of the planet. Early morning for us should be his evening.

"I used to know some of the constellations," he replied as he turned his eyes back to the sky. "Was looking for them, but it has been so long now since I actually looked that I can't seem to find them."

Smiling, I lifted the cat into my lap, took one of his paws, and pointed to one of the clusters that the spirit had told me about several nights ago. "That one is Bahamut who is known as the king of dragons. He is kind, noble, and wise but stern. He won't kill unless he has no other choice and is always watchful over the actions of Tiamat, his mother." I pointed the paw now at another cluster of stars that appeared next to the first. "Tiamat is the mother of the first generation of dragons and is the personification of chaos, which is the main reason she is always watched over by Bahamut…"


	27. Chapter 27

Saria: ROCKET TOWN!

Zas: She still wants to be an astronaut, doesn't she?

SA: What was your first clue?

Tori: Her stunt pilot phase?

SA: (groans)

zzzzzzzzzz

Everyone seemed to be in better moods when we started out again that morning, mostly because Zack promised that we would stay the night in Rocket Town even if we got there before noon. I think even he longed for a shower, change of clothes, and a bed. I had some optimism that we might get those at least since in the game you could get a night in the inn before running into Cid.

At the very least we should be able to offload the monster parts and collect a healthy sum of gil.

True to Cloud's prediction, Rocket Town came into view at just after 9am and at 10am we were entering the small town.

"Alright everyone!" Cloud spoke before anyone else could announce any plans. "We're going to spread out and look for any sightings of Sephiroth. Meet in front of the inn in an hour."

Everyone called out their agreement then we started to separate. I hadn't thought anyone would be joining me but was proven wrong when Red fell in step with me. The first stop on my itinerary was the weapon shop where I bought gold armlets for both of us and sold our old ones. I was also able to sell almost half of the monster pieces that were apparently used in making armor and pendants.

After our over-the-counter business was finished, I approached what was our true business. "Have you happened to see a man in a black cloak, possibly wielding a very long sword pass through here?"

The shop owner scratched his head a bit and seemed to give the matter some serious thought. "Better ask the Captain for that information," he finally responded.

"Thanks," I called back as we departed.

At our next stop, the Item shop, Red once again refused to say anything as I first sold what was left of our gatherings then purchased a tent before asking this shop owner the same question. This shop owner gave the same response as the other and I wasn't too surprised.

"This Captain seems to either be the town official or highly respected," Red stated as we left the shop.

"I've noticed. To be honest it almost seems freaky the way people defer to him." Checking my watch I saw that we still had a few minutes before we would be expected back at the inn. "Think we should check with this Captain?"

"Let's."

I asked one person for directions to the correct house and was surprised to find everyone converging on the place. Yuffie and Kunsel had teamed up, Aeris was with Tifa, Cloud walked with Vincent, and Zack had Cait Sith and Barret.

"Seems we were all directed the same way," Tifa declared.

Kunsel looked a bit uneasy about it. "Anyone else find it weird?"

Zack shrugged and stepped up to the door, unconcerned by the strange consistency of all the townsfolk. He knocked on the door once and when there was no reply turned the knob. The door was apparently unlocked because it opened easily.

"Hello?" Zack called out. "Anyone there? Mind if we use your shower?"

The word "shower" had seven out of the ten of us still outside staring hopefully at the house.

"There's nobody here!" The former SOLDIER called out to the rest of us. After a bit of shuffling and glancing around Vincent was the next to enter the house. The rest of us followed in no particular order.

We spread out through the house; Yuffie found the bathroom first and promptly locked everyone else out. Aeris found the kitchen, Barret found the first bedroom. As for me, I headed straight to the back of the house. I was beaten there by Cloud and Kunsel who were staring at the Tiny Bronco.

"Cool…" Cloud murmured before turning back and seeing me. "You think you could fly this?"

I stared at the plane feeling thoroughly entranced. The Tiny Bronco wasn't like any plane I had ever flown; it more closely resembled a helicopter actually. There was also one other problem: there was no way we were all going to fit in that thing and expect it to fly. It would probably float just fine, but fly? No way.

"How do you plan on fitting everyone?" I asked rather bluntly.

Cloud stopped to consider then looked at the plane while Kunsel also seemed to consider the physics behind this problem.

"Do you suppose we could fit Red in the cockpit and have everyone else hang on?"

Before I could start a rather long-winded rant on how it would be impossible due to airflow requirements over the wings, the door behind us opened.

"Umm… May I help you?" A meek voice behind us asked. We turned around and there stood Shera, an embarrassed looking Barret right behind her.

"No, we're just looking at this," Cloud indicated the Tiny Bronco, a kind smile on his face.

Shera seemed to almost blush before her fingers found a corner of her lab coat which she started to twist. "If you want to use it, you'll have to ask the Captain, he should be inside the rocket. I'm Shera, what are your names?"

"I'm Cloud."

"Kunsel, pleased to meet you."

"I'm Rachas," I said as I reached forward and shook hands with Shera.

"Sorry about just comin in to yur house, I'm Barret of AVALANCHE."

"So you're not with Shinra. I thought the approval for the reopening of the Space Program came. President Rufus is scheduled to come here; the Captain's been restless all morning." Shera's relief was palpable as she turned and walked back into the house.

"Rufus?" Cloud yelled.

"God damn Shinra is at every turn!" Barret looked borderline berserk from rage.

Barret's yell got everyone else's attention; even Yuffie stuck her head out of a window that had steam pouring through.

"We should talk to the Captain; this plane could be useful for finding Sephiroth," Cloud stated.

I wasted no time in trying to go through the house and opted to simply jump the fence. Behind me I heard several others also jump the fence and follow my lead to the rocket.

I paused before the rocket and looked up, feeling very much like a kid on Christmas. The rocket looked like a cross between a Delta and Saturn rocket, the boosters almost the same size as those on the space shuttle. The rivets and folds that indicated where the rocket separated for each stage were a bit rough, exactly what you would expect for an early age rocket. Also, this entire structure was made of metal rather than covered with thermal tiles like the space shuttle. It was a simple rocket that looked very much like an enlarged version of the ones I would build as a child.

My awe was interrupted by the arrival of Zack, Cloud, Aeris, and everyone else who had walked rather than run.

"Well, I think we have at least one volunteer who wants to go in," Zack joked to which I responded with a grin.

"You know it!"

Cloud also volunteered to go in as did Kunsel and Vincent, but everyone else wanted to keep their feet on the ground.

Yuffie wasn't there due to her being in the shower still.

Barret turned slightly pale at the thought of climbing the ladder.

Red glanced at it and declared it was too high.

Tifa wanted her turn in the shower.

Aeris admitted point blank that she didn't like heights.

"Someone needs to guard you guys from the ground!" Was Zack's excuse.

Cait Sith looked like he wanted to go but he didn't trust his mog to be coordinated enough to climb a ladder that tall.

Unable to wait any longer, I rushed for the nearby ladder and practically sprinted up the vertical incline. One thing I did notice as I climbed was that the ladder was oddly smooth while the rest of the structure was rusty, I guess Cid climbed this so often that it was not an issue.

Upon reaching the platform that led to the rocket itself I practically dove headfirst into that rusty yet still beautiful machine. Giddy with excitement now, and unable to keep my hands off, I ran into the cockpit and started grabbing manuals, diagrams, even circuitry charts. I pulled at one particular panel that was indicated to house the main circuit board, eager to see if hydraulics or electrical actuators were used.

"What are you doin here?" The voice was gruff and sounded borderline stunned.

Shuffling of feet could be heard and then a large set of hands grabbed me and hauled me away from my examination.

"Sorry about her, she's an engineer," Cloud's voice apologized even as I twisted away from the hands, finally free of my initial giddiness. "We heard the Captain was here."

Cloud's explanation of my engineering education seemed to put Cid at ease, then Cid broke into a large grin and started his rather… long winded boast about he was the Captain before finally declaring his name was Cid.

"So what do you guys want?" Cid's eyes roved over each of us in turn before reaching out and grabbing the diagrams that I had picked up during his boast. Shrugging, I picked up a manual nearby that was written about the stage systems.

"Could you tell us about the rocket?"

"Can you promise that she won't grab a wrench and try to disassemble her?" Cid demanded with a glance at me.

Feeling seriously insulted, I offered the man a glare. "I only pull them apart when there is an accident and they don't know what went wrong."

Cid shrugged then once again started to ramble on about the rocket, him being the world's best pilot, the launch disaster, and Shinra scrapping the whole project. For the most part I tuned him out as I read through the first part of the manual which described the couplings that held the stages of the rocket in place and how they were activated to release.

"Can we ask you another question?" Kunsel asked this time.

"Fine, what is it?"

"Can we borrow the Tiny Bronco?"

The manual was instantly ripped from my hands and I looked up at a very angry looking Cid. "Are you out of your fucking mind? That's my most cherished possession; I won't let you take that!" You know what, scratch angry. Cid was bordering on berserk fury.

"We have a pilot if that's what you'r-"

"If you don't have any more business then scram, I'm tryin to work here." The three of us traded glances then Cloud and Kunsel headed for the ladder while I headed for the central control area. They came back almost immediately and made me climb before them while Vincent had already started the climb.

"So, what did he say?" Aeris asked when we were all back on the ground.

"He said no," Kunsel stated as he grabbed my arm and we began the walk back to Cid's house. "We'll try again later."

Barret pointed at Kunsel's hold on me. "Did Rachas do something?"

"Only appear far too interested in everything in there. She was already trying to pull the thing apart by the time the rest of us got up there."

"I did no such thing!" I defended as we reached the edge of town. "I was checking what kinds of systems they used in that rocket!"

Barret laughed loudly while everyone else either shook their heads or grinned.

"Well, knew there had to be something that you were absolutely passionate about." Zack was almost laughing himself.

We were back in the house once again then and Yuffie was finally out of the shower, Tifa rushed in herself with a promise to be quick.

Cid came through the door then looking much calmer than he had at the rocket. He took one look at us then called, "Shit! Shera are you blind! We got guests, Make Some TEA, FUCK!"

More than one of us looked angry about his language and I will admit to my own hands forming fists under the table even as I fought to keep a neutral expression. Shera on the other hand went about the ordered task and began to boil water, pull out tea cups, coffee mugs when she didn't have enough, and a canister of tea leaves.

"Really, don't mind us-" Aeris was trying to be polite as she spoke to Shera but Cid interrupted her.

"Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and drink your GODDAMN TEA!" Zack was up in arms at once to defend his girlfriend but she pacified him with a hand on his shoulder. Everyone else automatically sat down if they weren't already sitting.

Shera and Aeris passed out the tea and everyone began to either drink or add their favorite flavorings. After a quick taste of my own cup I added a bit of milk and sugar.

"ARGH, Damn I'm pissed! Shera! I'll be out back tunin up the Bronco. And make sure to serve some tea! Alright? Good!"

Kunsel suddenly stood. "How about Rachas gives you a hand?" The answer was a door slamming.

"The hell was with that guy's attitude?" Barret demanded as everyone recovered.

"He reminds me of when you thought I'd left Marlene alone with the henchman of a pervert!"

Cloud glanced at Shera when she came around and refilled everyone's teacups. "Sorry about this."

"No, no. He's always like this." Shera waved it off.

"How can you live with this?" Asked Aeris.

"No, it's because of my stupid mistake. I was the one who destroyed his dream" She admitted.

"What happened?" Zack asked, authentic interest on his face.

Shera explained how she was one of the engineers for the rocket and on the day of the launch she had begun some diagnostics on an oxygen tank that she believed was faulty. Cid found out she was down there right when the time of the launch came and chose to abort the launch, saving her life. There wasn't a day she hadn't blamed herself since and she had decided to dedicate her life to him.

"You'll take everything he throws at you?" Aeris asked, looking slightly horrified when Shera nodded.

"That's why it's alright; I don't care what the Captain says." As if on cue, the backdoor slammed and Cid appeared right as Tifa emerged from the bathroom.

Noting she had no cup in hand, Cid shouted, "Shera! You still haven't served them tea? What's wrong with you?"

Shera ducked her head slightly and apologized as she pulled out even more mugs, filled them, and passed them to Tifa and Cid. She also refilled everyone's cups yet again if they had drunk any.

Tifa seemed surprised by what was going on and stared around the room, holding her mug loosely.

"Hurry up and sit down! Or ain't my hospitality good enough for you?" Cid called at her even as he downed his tea in one gulp. I doubt he even tasted it.

"That's one thing Shera's good for, she makes some good ass tea." My fingers twitched and I fought down the rising urge to march into his bathroom for a bar of soap to shove into his mouth. I hadn't liked this scene when I thought of it as a game; I hated it in real life.

I slowly sipped at my second cup since of tea since I had refused Shera's initial offer for a refill. It was very good tea but I had a preference for green tea. Around the room AVALANCHE sipped slowly if at all, and Cid yelled more than once about his hospitality not being good enough.

"They're late... Where's Rufus?" Cid finally declared after glancing at his clock. My cup was still half full but Shera was gesturing for me to allow her to fill it. Moments later a short fat man in a brown suit entered through the door and with the exception of Vincent, Yuffie, and Red, everyone froze.

"Hey-HEY. Long time no see! So Cid, how ya been?" Palmer wiggled in a manner that kind of made me want to hurl. Every bit of his close-minded arrogance was also apparent with the way he dismissed everyone else in the room.

"Well if it ain't fat man Palmer. How long were you figurin on keeping me here waitin?" Cid looked pretty excited, jumping from his seat then racing through the crowded room to Palmer. "When's the program gunna start up again?"

"I don't know, the president's outside right now, ask him."

"Damn it! Good for nothing fat sack a shit!" Our host shoved his way past the turd-suit.

"Don't call me fat!" This guy is starting to remind me of those blow punching dolls that bounce back up after every hit. "Hey tea! Can I have some? With lottsa honey and sugar, oh yeah and don't forget the lard!"

I was officially done with my tea the moment I saw Shera pull out the requested items and begin to prepare the tea. Peeping out the front window, I saw Rufus in front of the house; an increasing ticked looking Cid had his back to us. And just beyond that… I almost bit my tongue at the sight of the light single engine airplane sitting near two helicopters, completely unattended. It looked like an Edge-540!

Turning back I saw Palmer begin to walk towards the back of the house, the mug of his god-awful sounding perversion of tea in hand.

"You all want to use the Tiny Bronco right?" Cloud nodded. "I think Palmer is going to take it, why don't you talk to him."

As Zack stood, an idea hit me.

"There's no way we'd all fit in that thing," I stated plainly.

"Any better ideas?" Barret asked as he prepped his gun.

"Yeah," I pointed out the window then at the Edge. "It would be tight, but if two came with me we could provide a distraction while you guys deal with Palmer and get the Bronco going. It would be slow going even with just eight, so I think you'll need this."

Kunsel and Vincent both glanced out at the plane I had indicated then Kunsel offered me a grin. "You'll need to take two small people. Preferably specialized in either spells or long range with small weapons."

"I'll go," Vincent stated simply and I was perfectly fine with him.

"Me! ME!" Yuffie jumped up and down, and I saw a BIG problem.

"No! You go with the others!"

"Alright, so take Yuffie and Vincent, provide a distraction for us to take-off, then follow for as long as you can." Zack dismissed my protests and gestured for us to get going. I wondered if he even realized what a distraction in an airplane would be!

Yuffie grabbed me despite my protests then and dragged me out through the side of the house and I promptly quieted to prevent any Shinra personnel from noticing us. Vincent followed as silent as a shadow.

Calling to the power, I was able to weave a net around us all that would prevent us from garnering any attention, but we still moved as stealthily as possible. There were no guards around the plane or helicopters, which I found very surprising, so slipping in to the Edge was a simple feat. Strapping myself in to the pilot seat and locating the starting checklist was also easy and I was pleased to find an airsick bag which I promptly handed to Yuffie after she was strapped in with Vincent.

"What's this for?" She demanded as Vincent pulled the dome shut on the aircraft and latched it.

"Just in case you aren't scared enough to not get airsick," I responded, surprising the Wutaian Princess.

"What are we about to do?"

"Probably better if you don't know."

The engine roared to life then and after checking the temperature gauges, I shoved the power to full and started the roll out. The Edge sped up FAST and we were in the air and climbing over the trees and houses within seconds, I made it a specific point to overfly Rufus Shinra. Pulling the nose of the aircraft up, I watched the airspeed fall and the altimeter climb. Once over the rocket I lowered the nose slightly and less than a minute after take-off, I was ready to restart my career as a stunt pilot!

"Vincent, keep that bag over her face, don't let anything distract me!" I ordered as I brought the nose of the airplane up again and the airspeed bled off rapidly.

"You're going to stall." Vincent's voice was slightly tight and a glance showed that he had in fact followed my command to get the airsick bag in place over Yuffie's mouth, who was staring out with awe and fear.

"That's the whole point," I murmured then slammed my foot down on the right rudder pedal, initiating a spin.

It seemed to happen so slowly, the ground and sky first tilting then switching places as a slow turn started, then we were staring at the ground as the world rotated rapidly from our point of view.

Yuffie yelped as I counted three turns then brought power to idle, stepped on the left rudder, and shoved the yoke forward.

_**Shinra**_

Rufus stared as he saw their plane take-off. They had brought it along as a means to train a new pilot in fixed wing, hoping to eventually move him into the Cetra's multi-engine craft, but now it was being stolen!

He stared in abstract horror as the plane climbed at an impossible rate to an altitude that wasn't all that high and felt his mouth crack open when the thief seemed to lose control of their very expensive plane and cause it the corkscrew at the ground! Their plane was about to be crashed by an amateur!

Said amateur seemed to get very lucky because the corkscrew suddenly stopped with the plane only having two hundred feet before crashing, and circled over the village at a rather steep bank angle, climbing the whole time.

Several of his men yelled a mere half a minute later when the plane suddenly nosed down again.

_**Normal**_

After recovering from the spin, gaining a bit of airspeed, and performing a steep turn over Rocket Town, I started a climb again to rapidly regain some altitude. This plane gained speed fast so I didn't have to worry about going too high, but I did want a bit of a buffer.

Leveling off again, I gave the plane a bit of time regain some speed. Beside me Vincent was sitting and showing no emotion. Yuffie at least hadn't gotten sick yet, I think if her pallor was anything to go by, she was just too scared.

"Time for loop-the-loop." Vincent's reaction was to insure the bag was over Yuffie's mouth while Yuffie looked shocked at my words.

Pushing the nose of the aircraft down, I watched the rapidly climbing airspeed as well as the equally rapidly approaching ground. When speed was indicated at 180 knots, I brought the nose up and continued to hold it back hard as the nose first pointed towards the sky then slowly crept back so that we could see the opposite horizon, then we were staring at the ground again as our speed began to build again and then the horizon was back in sight, with us right side up this time, and I released the pressure.

Yuffie finally lost it then and puked, I just barely heard it over the roar of the engine.

Deciding to show a bit of mercy, I performed some eight-on-pylons, climbing while I did. Below us I saw the Tiny Bronco begin to roll with everyone on board.

I did two wingovers then, one left and one right, earning moans from Yuffie as I did. My point was to watch everyone else take-off and not to lose sight of them.

The plane was just as slow as I thought it would be, and whoever was flying clearly only had a rough idea of what they were doing. The Bronco slowly lifted off, shuddering as it tried to climb, circled the rocket, then flew over the town, almost landing. Cid jumped into action then, running after his precious plane and grabbing on to the tail portion.

Swooping down for a quick head count, I counted seven humans plus Red and Cait Sith. As for who was piloting, no one was at the moment.

I was so shocked that I almost didn't level off in time and a loud "clink" caught my attention right when I did.

A quick glance at my gauges told me that we were losing oil pressure. The loss was slow but it was certain. Climbing up while I still could, I checked the aircraft information for the best glide speed.

"W-what are… ugh… you doing?" Yuffie groaned around her airsick bag.

"Climbing so that when the engine quits we'll be able to make the most of our glide."

"QUITS?" Yuffie screamed.

"Vincent, prepare for a water landing," I stated as I insured the landing gear was up as the shoreline came into view.

"WATER LANDING?" Yuffie cried out, eyes widening in horror at the approaching water.

"The Tiny Bronco is going down also," Vincent pointed out.

I nodded as I saw the Bronco dip towards the water and started my own descent. The engine coughed finally and died, Yuffie crying out in fear at the sight.

Holding the published glide speed, I angled the Edge to make a belly landing in the water near the Bronco. There was a bit of a bump and the plane seemed to submerge for a moment before popping back up to the surface. The Tiny Bronco was a feel hundred feet to our right, but we were well in sight of one another.

"Stop the planet, I want off," Yuffie mumbled.

Vincent reached up and unlocked the bubble dome then while Yuffie and I unstrapped ourselves and she tossed the airsick bag into the sea.

"So," I asked as we pulled ourselves out of the plane. "How are you guys at swimming?"

Five minutes later we were pulled aboard the Tiny Bronco, Vincent actually looking quite humorous while Cid, who was still stationed on the tail of the Bronco, stared at us wide eyed.

"Which of you fuckers was the insane pilot?"

Vincent glanced at me while Yuffie simply pointed. I responded by glaring at both of them.

"It wasn't like I was laughing manically!" I defended. "Those were simple aerobatics!"

"Not like it matters now," Cid stated as he climbed off of the tail of his aircraft. "She won't fly no more."

"Let me see." Pushing out to the back of the plane, I accessed the damage with a critical eye. In most cases I would agree with him, but in this situation I could think of something to do. "What about setting the stabilator into a slight nose-up attitude and controlling altitude using power?"

"Shit!" Cid announced loudly. "I already tossed my tools." He glanced then at Zack. "Just what were you guys thinkin havin the pilot of yur group flyin decoy?"

"It was her idea."

"Why'd'ya call her insane?" Barret asked.

Yuffie spoke up before Cid could say. "Because it was…" She ran to the edge of a wing then and puked loudly into the water.

"That's not how I usually fly!" I yelled at her.

Tifa was sitting on the other tail strut and barely spared any of us a glance. "So, what are we going to do now?"

Cloud turned to Cid. "Can we use it as a boat?"

Cid had pulled out a pack of cigarettes and had pulled one out and lit up. "Shit, do whatever you want, I don't care anymore."

"Cid, what are you going to do now?" The man in question blew out a puff of smoke and glanced at the slowly receding continent.

"Hell I don't know. I have a history with Shinra and I've given up on my town."

"What about your wife Shera?" Aeris's question caused Cid to guffaw.

"Wife? Don't make me laugh! Just thinkin about marryin that woman sends chills down my spine." He took a particularly long drag on his cigarette then. "What are you guys gunna do now you have a boat?"

"We're going after Sephiroth, we'll eventually run into Rufus and Shinra though."

"Don't know anything bout that, but..." Cid reached down and freed a spear from the side of the plane. "What the hell, sign me up!"

"How bout it everyone?" No one said no, but I sure didn't say yes. Tifa and Aeris's responses were a bit on the quiet side while Barret gave a simple "Alright". Red said he saw no problem with it, Vincent was silent, Yuffie puked again, and Kunsel had moved to rub her back. Zack offered his hand in welcome.

"Glad to be aboard numbskulls!"

"Numbskulls?" Cloud sounded slightly offended.

"Sure, anyone stupid enough to go against Shinra nowadays has got to be a numbskull. I like it!" I laughed at Cid's joke.

"Birds of a feather!" I shouted at him.

"So where we headin? Rufus said he was going after that Sephiroth guy to the Temple of the Ancients." Everyone was now paying attention to the man.

"A temple? Where?" Aeris pleaded. Cid just shrugged and scratched his chin.

"Don't know, little shit said they were headin the wrong way, so I guess that way." He pointed what looked like south.

Yuffie raised her head slightly from the wing and glanced at where Cid was pointing.

"Alright let's go and see what we can find on land and collect information then."

"We should head to Wutai!" Yuffie called, visibly fighting her stomach.

Zack stared at her for a moment then shook his head. "I don't think so, kid. Wutai doesn't seem like the best of places to start in these sort of searches."

"I'm not so certain about that," Kunsel called out. "Wutai is where Sephiroth really made a name for himself and where he would be most feared."

"Not to mention that Wutai values tradition," I called out. "If they do have any information then it would be well maintained and unbiased." I realize that I have just set the stage for Yuffie to rob us, but I will also admit that I'll trust her a lot more if we go through this.

Cloud and Zack glanced at each other, several maps were pulled out, and then they nodded.

"Ok, we'll head to Wutai."

"So much for staying the night in Rocket Town," Cait Sith spoke for the first time.

Several people laughed, others groaned.

The rest of the day was spent with us sailing along the coast then crossing a narrow channel from the Western Continent to Wutai. Seeing there was not much else to do, I told the final part of the story of Revan.

AVALANCHE seemed spellbound as Revan waged a war against the council and Jedi, quickly building his own Empire before his own apprentice turned traitor on him and attempted to destroy him. Left for dead with a shattered mind and scattered memories, Revan was saved by none other than one of the Jedi he had fought against, a woman named Shan, who formed a bond with him in the act. After saving Shan's life in turn, the Council decided to have him retrained as a Jedi. Revan and Shan started an odyssey soon after, using Revan's old memories that he thought were "visions" to find pieces of a map that would lead to an ultimate weapon.

Zack loudly cheered when Revan's team escaped a trap then groaned when Revan's former apprentice appeared and revealed Revan's true past and identity and captured Shan who Revan had come to love. Revan managed to push through the loss and shock to find the final map piece, found the weapon, and in a final showdown with his former student, rejected the darkness of his past and freed Shan. Everyone was ill-content with the ending though where rather than happily ever after, Revan had instead returned to the Unknown Regions in a quest against the Sith and was never thought to have returned.

All around there were groans, cheers, and questions as various members tried to see if I knew anything else about what had happened to Revan.

I admitted to knowing nothing more about Revan which caused even more discontent.

The rest of the afternoon was punctuated with several loud arguments, especially when I took the controls for a few minutes and Cid walked out onto a wing for a smoke. His mistake was going out on the same wing Yuffie was on.

As soon as she smelled the smoke from Cid's first cigarette, Yuffie jumped up, grabbed the pack of cancer sticks and hurled them overboard.

"The hell'd you do that?" Cid demanded loudly as Yuffie crouched again, prepping to puke once more.

Yuffie choked a moment that shot back at him, "Those were making me sicker. You should thank me anyway 'cause those'll kill you!"

The smoker stomped his foot angrily, earning yells from everyone else as he caused the plane to rock. "Don't care 'bout none of that shit! I want my smokes!" Glancing over the rest of us, Cid's eyes finally rested on me. "Yo, insane one, give me some lights!"

"I don't smoke!" I yelled back at Cid once I realized he meant me.

"Bullshit!" Cid yelled back then turned to Barret. "Come on, there've gotta be some lights!"

"Never seen any of us smoke," Barret responded.

Cid looked flabbergasted and disbelieving. "No smokes? So no plane and now no smokes?" Cid kicked me out of the cockpit minutes later.

When the sun finally began to set we were coasting along the northern shores of Wutai. Surprisingly Cait Sith, who had been very silent for most of the day, sat next to me on the tail strut I had chosen as my perch.

"You like rockets lass?" The Scottish accent once again had the odd inflexion that alerted me to Reeve's control again, not that it made a big difference.

"I like the technology and the possibilities it presents us with," I admitted as I leaned against the tail of the aircraft.

Cait Sith stared at me for a moment, confusion lined his face. "Possibilities? It seems like a waste of money to be honest."

"Most technology does before it reaches a level of advancement which can only be achieved through demand," I countered. "Think of PHSs and how inefficient the technology was when it first came out."

"Those had immediate benefits though; anyone could see the benefit of those."

"But think of telephones when they first came out. They were scratchy, took a long time to connect, and very expensive. It was easier to just walk up the street and ask your neighbors how they were doing."

"Then what benefits do you see coming from putting a man into outer space?"

I gathered my thoughts before answering. Truly Gaia was a bit backwards if they hadn't thought of this previously. "Not just a man, just think of the possibilities society would have if we could tap that vast terrain. If we could put permanent satellites into orbit we could use them to improve communications and to track weather systems better. A permanent habitat could help in creating laboratories where technological and medical advancements could be achieved without fear of being disrupted by natural disaster or "unwelcome guests". Then there are the other resources available in our solar system: asteroids and meteors that we could draw minerals and metals from."

"And how would these be powered? Surely Mako couldn't reach that far."

"Solar power," I answered with a grin. "You'd have access to 24-hour sunlight up there without having to worry about being cut off due to storms. It would be highly efficient."

Cait Sith seemed to snort, almost like he was suppressing a laugh.

"Something funny?"

"You've obviously thought about this for a long time."

I shrugged. "Space and the technology to reach it have been my key interest since I was a very little girl, three if I remember right. I loved looking into the vastness of the sky even back then, reading about stars and planets, then the technology required to reach such heights. The more one thinks about it, the more benefits you begin to see. What about you? What interests you?"

Cait Sith seemed to freeze for a moment then stared at me, reminding me again that Reeve was still in control. "I admit a fondness of fortune-telling and robotics."

"Robotics?" I leaned forward honestly interested. "Any particular type?"

"W-would you mind if I told you your fortune?" The change in subject was surprising.

"Umm… Go ahead though I don't really believe in fate."

"What do you believe in?" Cait asked as he called his mog over.

"Choices."

Cait Sith jumped on top of his mog then and initiated the little dance he did to produce the fortunes. Tifa glanced over right as I accepted the paper that the mog handed me.

"Careful, those things tend to be a bit weird!" she called out.

"Thanks," I called back then read the fortune. "Open your mind and your heart to good things."

"Nevermind," Tifa said.


	28. Chapter 28

Tori and SA: (exchange glances)

Zas: Finally got that Avatar/Image system to work. Anything to say for yourself?

Saria: I'm learning how to use photoshop and I want to go to Metrocon.

zzzzzzzzzz

We slept on the plane that night after tying off on a rock to prevent ourselves from drifting. All along the plane or on the rock everyone spread out for sleep. At Zack's insistence we did have a watch that night and I managed to call the first shift.

Cid insisted on sleeping in the cockpit of the Tiny Bronco, strapped in the pilot's seat at that. Yuffie was adamant that she sleep on the rock and no one objected. All around the various members of AVALANCHE pulled out extra jackets and shirts since sleeping bags were out of question right now.

I kept my perch on the tail of the aircraft as everyone spread out and fell asleep. My watch was peaceful and uneventful, and with the sound of the sea lapping around us it quickly became hard to stay awake. Finally the two hours passed and I woke Red for his turn before lying down myself.

The morning came and everyone was ready to keep going except Yuffie who had to be dragged onto the plane/boat.

"Why can't we just go on land?" Yuffie moaned as Cid started up the plane and got us moving again.

"Can't land here, there're cliffs!" Cid yelled at her, still feeling foul about not having his smokes.

Despite Yuffie's illness and an obvious desire to offer her comfort, Kunsel managed to focus on more of the scientific journals and notes today along with Vincent and me. Each of us took notes on what we read and shared those with the others and little by little a very thorough log of Sephiroth's life, starting prenatal, was put together. It was grisly, starting with how seven children were initially born from the Jenova Project and all were separated from their mothers immediately, Sephiroth being no different. Of the six other children, two had died within a year of their birth and the other four eventually passed away either due to infection or mako poisoning between the ages of 3 and 9. Photos of the kids showed thin faces, empty eyes, and many bruises.

"That's IT!" I finally screamed as I shut the book I had been halfway through with a slam and forced myself not to hurl it into the ocean. "Wanted criminal or not, Hojo can't be allowed to get away with this!"

Kunsel wore a grimace himself as he leafed through a separate book which must have been equally upsetting. Vincent's expression was empty also but I could feel his anger rising.

"There's already a line for punching Hojo," Zack called out.

"Who said anything about punching?"

Zack raised his eyebrows at me then realized I was completely serious. A sad smile formed over his face then. "That bad?"

"Children," I responded as I shoved the book into Kunsel's bag, letting him know that I was done. "If I were on a jury and I saw those notes and pictures, there is no way I'd be able to convict Sephiroth for finally snapping."

"It is pretty bad." Kunsel also shoved the book he was studying into his pack while Vincent stowed his own. "But we've learned some things about Sephiroth at least."

"Such as?" Cloud asked from the wing where he was studying the shoreline.

"He hasn't been stable for a long time. No contact with a stable parental figure-"

"Just say it! He's bat-shit insane and would likely latch onto the first beings to show him kindness or even a hint of caring." Zack was the one responsible for that outburst and everyone stared at him.

Barret heaved a heavy sigh. "Evil as he is, gotta feel sorry for 'im."

"Alright knuckleheads, headin' ashore!" Cid called from the cockpit and we all turned to see a beach that we were now quickly approaching.

Everyone was happy to finally have land under their feet and we dragged the Tiny Bronco onto the beach to allow the plane to dry out. It was just midmorning and Yuffie happily took the lead, heading towards the highlands with a skip in her step.

"Since you guys aren't ninja it should take about a day and a half to walk to Wutai, the capital. That's where most of the records and archives are!" Yuffie chattered happily, all evidence of motion sickness almost completely gone.

Though the games never indicated this, I soon found Wutai had a number of small villages throughout the country side which was also very beautiful. The fields were a bright green that turned to lush hillsides as we trekked north. We passed several merchants on the roads that were leading various beasts of burden such as oxen and chocobos, but not once did I see a horse. The farmers themselves were private people who nodded to Yuffie but didn't acknowledge the rest of us at all.

Since we were running low on rations and had no way to purchase more, we purchased some food that would serve as our dinner from one such farmer. He hadn't seemed willing to do business until Yuffie stepped forward and conducted the purchase herself.

Soon after we left the main roads completely, traveling instead by little used roads into the true highlands. If I hadn't already known what was to come, this alone would have made me very suspicious.

Most of the day had been spent just getting to the highlands but Yuffie assured us that tomorrow would be much easier as we set up camp for the night.

Dinner was once again cooked over the campfire, a simple fare of several fish and some vegetables. Being no fan of fish, I chose to forgo my portion and allowed someone else to have it.

Then came the decisions over who would have which watches that night. I wasn't surprised when Yuffie immediately called last watch which made me the odd one out: Yuffie always tried to get out of watch duty.

Cait Sith didn't have watch duty that night, nor did I for that matter, but I watched him until I turned in, waiting for some clue of when Reeve may take over. I was oddly disappointed when he didn't.

I shared a tent with Aeris that night; she smiled and told me that she was beginning to hear the Planet more clearly even though she wasn't in her church anymore or in the presence of natural mako springs. I in turn smiled back at her even as I began to think of when the best time to begin training would be. I had previously decided that the best time would be right after Cait Sith gave away the Keystone, now I think that would be too late.

"Are you hearing just murmurs or actual voices?"

"Murmurs for the most part, but every so often I hear a clear voice."

I smiled and thought back, trying to get an idea of what her progress would be like in the next few days. If our growth rates were comparable then within a week she would be hearing the Planet clearly.

"Within a week," I finally said aloud as I tucked my pack into the foot of my sleeping bag and changed out my good materia for some junk pieces that I didn't care much about, realizing at that moment that I had never gotten my Ice back from Cait Sith.

"What?" Aeris asked, her green eyes curious as to what I meant.

"We'll begin your training within a week," I explained and saw a large smile appear on Aeris's pretty face.

"Are you serious?" Aeris demanded in her excitement and when I nodded, she reached out and hugged me. I stiffened for a moment then gave a one-armed return of the hug.

"Just promise me one thing," Aeris backed up for a moment at my words. "I don't want you talking about your training to anyone, even Zack for a while. And don't try to use what you learn in a fight unless you have no other choice. Understand?"

Aeris nodded her head, her eyes still sparkling with joy. I guess she had been really looking forward to this for a while now.

We both lay down for sleep after that, and I could feel Aeris's joy at the thought of finally learning more than just stories soon.

The green of the Lifestream flowed around again for the first time in quite a while. It was easy to relax here as the feeling of life rushed through me.

"_You've made her very happy,"_ Minerva's voice rang out through the Cetra meeting ground.

I shrugged though internally I was glad. Aeris was such a sweet person, she deserved to live and be happy. Though I would give her Jedi training I had no intention of her ever having to use it. "She'll make an excellent healer."

Minerva seemed to hum at my response though she sounded pleased also. _"Have you decided what to teach her first?"_

"Levitation, that seems to be the most basic of all the skills. After that we'll focus on weaving nets to make oneself unnoticeable, after that we'll focus on healing."

"_Leaving out some of the skills that would possibly lead to her so many risks I see."_

"She'll be learning the Mind Trick soon enough, and receive a very firm warning about it when she does."

"_Good, I would hate to have to cut you or her off for abusing such a power."_

I felt myself jerk slightly. "Cut us off?"

"_Think of it as a revocation of your abilities if you should do something detrimental. I have educated myself in the ways of these "Sith" and agree I don't need any running around. If you, Aeris, or anyone that you train should "fall" then they will lose their powers."_

"Anyone else? As in Aeris's children?" Ok, that was a scary thought: miniature Zacks running around with the ability to levitate items. "Wait a moment, who said I was going to stay here long enough for that to be an issue?"

Around me laughter filled the air. _"Aeris may train them then. Oh, and it seems your thief is about to strike."_

The green Lifestream faded and I saw the tent that I lay in, Yuffie creeping through the flap and silently moving to Aeris's side, her hand sliding over the woman's armlet and weapon before turning to me.

She couldn't reach my pack where I'd stashed my best materia but she was only targeting the ones I had equipped.

_**Shinra**_

Reeve glanced at his modem, wondering why he was so hesitant to log in and check in on AVALANCHE. He was certain that nothing new had happened, and with Cait Sith near enough to old military towers in Wutai they were still receiving reports, but you just couldn't beat an actual person interacting with others, no matter how good of a machine you built.

Stepping on his hesitancy, the Director of Urban Development grabbed the head piece that allowed him to log in and opened Cait Sith's eyes. Apparently he was sharing a tent with Barret that night but it would soon enough be morning.

Sticking his head out of the tent, he was surprised once again to see the center of the camp was empty save for a fire, something that was normal for Rachas's shifts, but he didn't see the woman anywhere.

Movement caught his eye then from one of the tents and he was surprised to see Yuffie emerge from a tent while shoving several materia into her pack.

Seconds later she entered yet another tent and reemerged several minutes later after a bit of shuffling, shoving even more materia into her pack!

Glancing down at Cait's megaphone, Reeve almost growled when he saw the Transform materia was gone. Running back to his mog and checking one of the robot's hidden compartments he felt relief rush through him when he found Rachas's Ice materia that she had loaned to Cait while in Mt. Nibel. Cait had placed it there after Yuffie attempted to snatch it after the fight.

Right as he raised his megaphone to raise an alarm so the rest of AVALANCHE would wake and hopefully stop the thief, another voice called out from outside of the camp.

"There they are!" Two MPs who looked like they were on an early patrol came rushing into the camp then.

_**Normal**_

I jerked awake at the yell of, "There they are!" and shared a glance with a groggy Aeris before we both pulled back the tent flap and stared out at the camp. Two MPs stood by the fire, eyes roving over our circle of six tents from which Zack, Cloud, Kunsel, Tifa, and Vincent had all already emerged. Yuffie was also out there and looked very much like a deer caught by the headlights.

"That's not them; these are the other guys from before." The soldiers were confused, their guns wavering for a second. Aeris finally collected herself and we both exited the tent.

"Yuffie, by any chance did you?" Aeris started to ask.

"I didn't know! I had nothing to do with this one!"

"This one?" Barret was starting to pull himself from his tent, Cait Sith peeking around him. "So you were plannin something!"

Yuffie looked like she wanted to protest but when the rest of the squad of MPs showed up she simply turned and ran.

"Everyone drop your weapons and put your hands in the air," the one I assumed to be the lead MP ordered as his five subordinates circled us, guns drawn.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered as I glanced around. This entire scene wasn't going the way that I remembered it with the exception of Yuffie running off after stealing our materia.

"Take'em down!" the leader yelled.

Surprisingly enough Cait Sith started to fight with a megaphone scream, causing the trooper closest to me to drop to the ground, hands over his ears. Rushing forward, I spied a tranquilizer in one of his hands and wrested it from the man and poured the chemical over the man.

A call through from the Planet caused me to turn and I saw one of the troopers about to throw a grenade right as Vincent leveled his gun and fired into the man's knee. The MP dropped the grenade and without thinking I slapped the grenade away with the power. It exploded harmlessly in the nearby brush.

The fight was pretty much over by then, Zack, Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Red, and me each having taken down one of the MPs. Behind us Cid finally dragged himself out of his tent, cursing and yelling about the noise.

"My materias missing!" Barret yelled, having apparently done a quick inventory while we had had our fights.

Everyone glanced at their armlets and weapons then and gave shouts themselves.

"Mine too!" Aeris cried out in shock.

"Same here!" Red turned in the direction Yuffie had gone. "We can track her down."

"This particular thief is going to receive that lecture I promised that kid!" Zack declared as he took a step in the direction Yuffie had gone in.

"Surely you don't intend to leave your tent and supplies," I called after him.

"I still have a materia," Cait Sith offered and held out my Ice.

"Hold onto that for right now," I informed the cat. Running back into my tent, I yanked my pack from the foot of my sleeping bag and checked my store of materia. "I still have my reserve materia!" I called out to everyone else.

There was visible relief as I passed out my "extra" materia after extracting promises that everyone would return it after they had their own materia back. Red got a Fire, Aeris got a Restore, Tifa got Time, and I held onto Heal and Lightning. Cait Sith held onto Ice and after some consideration I handed Shiva to Cloud. We did coin flips for Elemental and All with me not participating due to having two materia already. Red got the All, Tifa won Elemental, and after a brief moment of consideration they traded.

Camp was packed quickly by everyone and we were chasing Yuffie's trail less than five minutes later.

We ran for as long as we could to try to make up some ground, but Cid was a smoker, I was getting knocked in the head by a tent pole, and Barret simply wasn't a runner. We ran all of twenty minutes before slowing to a jog that everyone confirmed they could keep pace with while Zack helped to straighten the tent I carried so it wouldn't keep banging against my head.

Breakfast was whatever you could pull out and eat. Cloud checked the map after an hour and announced that with our current pace we should reach the village of Wutai around mid-afternoon.

The day dragged on, hour after hour of us keeping that set pace, some of us more easily than others. By noon my canteen was over half empty and I had handed off the extra tent to Cloud. Thankfully the day wasn't too hot. Then we finally began to descend from the highlands and Wutai came into sight.

Having our destination finally in view caused everyone to speed up a bit more, even Cid who seemed to be having the worst time of all of us, picked his feet up a bit more.

Wutai was incredible to behold and I realized that it was really mid-April maybe due to the blooming Sakura. All of the people walking through the village wore kimonos or yukatas while the buildings were in the traditional Japanese fashion; the Pagoda almost seemed to glisten from its surreal location. The village looked serene and utterly beautiful.

"There she is!" Barret yelled, pointing down the path at Yuffie. She seemed shocked that we had actually followed her but turned heal quickly and took off.

"Come back here!" Zack yelled as he ran after her, the rest of us following suit.

Yuffie was one thing when she needed to be though, and that was fast. Add to the problem that this was her hometown and you can guess that we lost her rather quickly.

"Dammit!" Barret yelled when he realized she had given us the slip.

"Everyone split up!" Cloud commanded and we separated easily. I somehow found myself paired with Zack and Cait Sith.

"Excuse me, you seen a girl about yay tall, really loud?" Zack asked one citizen but was ignored.

"Watashiha, anata ga aru iiwak-" The person I was attempting to speak to looked at me as though I were possessed and ran.

"We're looking for the Single White Rose!" Zack was chasing after yet another citizen which I brought to a halt using the good old fashioned ear-grab.

"Zack, let's think back on her behavior. She's not used to crowded rooms or sharing and wants to return Wutai to its former glory. She's also very boastful. What sort of people are like that?"

"Hero wanna-bes?"

"In this sort of culture."

"Nobility," Cait Sith piped up. "Nobility are the ones who have titles with few exceptions. Almost everyone else lives in semi-close quarters and shares."

"So… We're looking for nobles?"

"Yes, look for the biggest and fanciest house in the village."

The palace was easy enough to find then Zack went charging straight into the building.

"At least acknowledge the culture and take off your shoes!" I yelled after him as I toed off my own shoes before following. I caught up with Zack right as he came back from one hall and yelled, "Not down there," before charging to another wing of the palace.

Cait Sith followed him and I followed Cait. Soon enough we found ourselves at the door leading to the chambers of the Lord of Wutai.

The man wasn't looking very Lordish right then as he lay sprawled over his futon, beard and robe in disarray.

Deciding to be polite just for the sake of hopefully having him more willing to help once we caught Yuffie, I stepped forward when the man's eyes blinked open and kneeled into seiza, folding my hands into my lap.

"Konnichiwa, watashi wa-" I was cut off by the Lord raising his hand to stop me.

"I understand your language though I appreciate the gesture. What do you want?"

Zack leaped forward immediately. "We're looking for a girl named Yuffie."

"Yuffie? ...Never heard of her." The Lord lay back down then, shutting his eyes, intent to fall back asleep.

Zack reached forward this time and grabbed the man's shoulder, giving him a quick shake.

Godo's eyes snapped open and he turned to Zack. "You again? I told you once and I'll tell you again, I don't know her."

"She said she was born in Wutai." The man gave sat up again.

"Listen, I said I don't know her! There isn't anyone here named Yuffie!" He got up and finally took a good long look at the three of us.

"Never seen you here before... Lately I've seen Shinra all over the place, you wouldn't have anything to do with them would you?"

"No, we just got here, although AVALANCHE is being pursued-" Godo held up his hand and Zack stopped.

"I don't care who you are, but if you're in trouble with Shinra then I'll have to ask you to leave. I don't want Shinra here looking over my shoulder."

"What's with you, you coward?" The four of us looked around for the new voice. Then in the open doorway Yuffie dropped to the ground.

"Yuffie?" Godo looked shocked.

"You're scared of Shinra? Then why don't you fall in line and obey them, just like all the other towns?" She pointed at us.

"These guys are the ones who are really fighting Shinra!"

"Shut up! What would you know about this?" Zack and I forgot about Yuffie to witness the exchange though I noticed Cait Sith beginning to edge towards her.

"You get beaten once, and then that's it? What happened to the mighty Wutai I used to know?"

"No kid like you is going to talk to me like that. You keep acting like that, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

"That's my style! And it's my own business, not yours! You don't try and dictate what I do!"

"Style? Dictate? Throwing around those words, you're a miserable daughter!"

"You're a sad excuse for a father!" Godo leaped at her then, Yuffie knocking Cait Sith aside as he chased her from the room then returned shortly after.

"I apologize, she is very boisterous."

"We kn-mph!" I slapped my hand over Zack's mouth.

"Please don't concern yourself. We'll show ourselves out." I herded Zack out the door then with Cait and his mog following. I put my shoes back on as we left and the three of us headed back to town.

"Did you find her?" Aeris asked when we regrouped.

"For a moment," Zack responded, looking slightly embarrassed. "That was like the Sector 5 market all over again. Where's Cid?"

"He went to the bar, certain there would be people who'd talk," Barret responded. "Don't seem a bad idea right now."

I groaned at the notion of entering a bar, thus far I've not had very good experiences with them here in Gaia. None the less I followed everyone to the place.

"Y-y-y-you? How did you get here?" Sparing a glance at the Turks I was slightly surprised to see that Rude looked oddly on edge while Reno was giving me a sharp look out of the corner of his eye. Elena on the other hand…

"Butt! Tseng! Report butt Tseng!" Her eyes stared at me in absolute horror and I was instantly concerned. Had my prank affected her that badly?

"Great… She's rambling again." Reno stated this as he sipped at a glass that looked to contain alcohol.

"Tseng butt!" The female Turk reached over and grabbed Reno's glass, downing it all in one gulp. "Squeezable!"

"And now our vacations ruined." Reno shot a look at us that suggested we were to blame. As though we had known they would be here. Ok, I'll admit guilt to that.

Calling out to the power, I tried to enter Elena's mind, intent to try to either remove the memory or dull it down to nothing only for the woman to jerk mightily and run giggling from the bar.

"Even the booze tastes bad now." Reno didn't seem to have noticed Elena's departure as he stared at the ice in his otherwise empty glass. I wonder just how drunk he was to either not realize he didn't have any or not call for more. "What are you jerks doing here?"

"Looking for a teammate who ran off earlier today," Cloud replied, his eyes narrowed at Reno.

"Haven't seen anyone," Reno replied as he sent a disgusted look at us though he refused to make eye contact with me.

We wasted no more time as we rushed out of the bar and re-separated into our groups. I wanted to find Elena but I knew of a much better time to corner her.

Zack, Cait, and I moved quickly through the village catching the occasional glimpse of her jumping out of the item shop and leaving someone's house then we were back in front of the bar, everyone else reporting her having gotten away as well.

"Slippery little cretin," Cid muttered.

"Where could she be?" Even Kunsel sounded agitated now, not that I could really blame him.

I glanced over and right on cue saw the pot give a shake. Drawing Red's eye I glanced at the pot as did he right as the pot gave another shake. Kunsel noticed our distraction and looked as well.

Gesturing for everyone else to remain silent and cover the exits, the three of us crept over to the pot. Red steadied the pot while I reached for the lid and Kunsel got ready to grab. The former SOLDIER raised three fingers and began the countdown and right as he hit zero I ripped off the lid of the pot, Kunsel's arm disappearing into the pot and retracted moments later, a struggling ninja in hand.

"Let go!" Yuffie yelled as she twisted to no avail in Kunsel's grip.

"You're not getting away Yuffie." Zack approached then and stood before the girl, hands on his hips. "Now return our materia and get ready for the longest lecture of your life."

"Okay, I know, I was wrong. You win; I'll give you back your materia," Yuffie declared and Kunsel set her back on the ground. She began the slow trek towards her house, sparing sneaky glances every so often. Glancing around it was evident that Vincent was definitely suspicious as were Kunsel and Red.

Focusing my mind outward with the power, I let myself walk on automatic as I sought out Elena's location and was surprised to find her sitting near the shrine, piecing herself back together. She wasn't babbling anymore at least.

We entered the traditional looking house and followed Yuffie down the stairs to what appeared to be a training room that had various types of weapons lining the walls. I made it a point to linger by the door so that I could run as soon as Yuffie took off.

"I've been hearing it ever since I was little. Before I was born Wutai was more crowded, more important." She walked past the group.

"Have you seen it now? ...Just a resort town. After we lost the war, we got peace, but with that we lost something else. Now look at Wutai." She was now at the entrance, on the verge of tears.

"That's why if I had lots of materia I could-"

"Listen Yuffie," Cloud started but was cut off by Kunsel.

"Having lots of materia won't change anything if it isn't wielded by people with the spirit to fight what is happening. Your father made a choice to try to preserve the lives of his people, as a leader it was his duty. If you truly want to liberate Wutai then why steal from those who also fight your oppressor?"

Zack seemed to sigh as he stood in the middle of the room with everyone else. "If you give it back now, we'll drop the whole thing. No lecture even."

"I know, I know that." She really started to tear up now. "That switch on the left… sniff... Materias in there." Cloud walked up to the machine in the room and pulled the left switch. The cage dropped down then, capturing everyone except Yuffie, Cloud, and me.

"The fucking hell!" Cid beat at the side of the cage with his spear while Barret glared black murder at Yuffie.

"She got us again…" Red sounded irritated.

"Ha Ha Ha! Never trust anyone that easy! The materias mine, tough! If you want it, go find it yourself! When you're looking for the materia, remember you got to steel it! HA, get it? Steel!" Yuffie then charged the door. I made a move to grab her but I swear that girl had to be at least partially a serpent based on the way she twisted and avoided my grab.

"Don't let her get away!" Barret yelled from the cage and I automatically took off after Yuffie while Cloud tried to figure out how to bring the cage back up.

I didn't really pursue Yuffie, I simply ran full tilt to the shrine, using the power to allow me to reach the place before Yuffie, intent to get close enough to Elena to undo the damage I'd caused. Really, couldn't that woman deal with a little embarrassment?

I made it to the shrine without running into anyone and caught Elena at the door, her eyes widening comically as I grabbed her shoulder.

Not waiting even a moment, I slipped into her mind and pushed back, seeking the memories of the cave and upon finding them began to fade them as much as I could, blurring the experience while pushing down her embarrassment to unnoticeable levels. For her it would be as though the comment was never made.

Finally satisfied that I'd restored her as much as I could, I pulled back and left the shrine fast, leaving a very dazed looking Elena and ran across the street to the palace. Several moments later Yuffie dropped down from a roof and ran to the shrine. She had apparently used a very roundabout route to get here.

Running back to the main street area, I was pleased to run into Red and Tifa first.

"She went this way, towards the palace! I lost her before seeing where she hid!" I called to them.

"Alright," Tifa said as she pulled out her PHS and called the others as we ran to the palace area.

Red didn't even need to be asked about seeing if he could smell her, he automatically ran down the street, sniffing as he went and found Yuffie's scent right as Kunsel, Zack, and Cloud arrived.

"The shrine!" he called to them and I watched in horror as Zack ran to the door of the shrine and kicked it down. We rushed into the shrine to see a bound Yuffie being held by a thug.

"Let go! I SAID LET GO! Who do you think you are! What are you doing jerk!" Kunsel jumped into the room then, sword drawn while Cloud and Tifa looked surprised over who else was in the room.

"You?" Corneo was wearing his signature red coat and wiggled obscenely as he turned to face us.

"Corneo?"

"Finally I've got a new chicky! Two for one in fact!" Corneo did his strange little hip thrust then and I briefly wondered if it were possible to make this guy mentally impotent so I'd never have to worry about seeing that again, no matter how long or short this guy lived.

"Two?"

"Hey let me go! You're going to regret this!" Elena seemed to be out of her daze and very much herself again if her yells were anything to go by. The thug who was carrying her stood at the top of the stairs, apparently ready to go. Then all three men were running up the stairs and disappearing through the door at the top.

"Who was that?" Red demanded even as Kunsel charged the staircase.

"Don Corneo, pervert extraordinaire. We needed information from his once." I stared at Tifa even as I ran to one of the chests in the room, Cloud grabbing the other one, and found an elixir. Zack already was pushing through to follow Kunsel up the stairs and we followed shortly after.

Corneo was in the center of the next room, Shinra troopers at the door, Zack and Kunsel standing by the stairs.

"There he is! It's Corneo, don't let him get away! Attack!" And like the oh-so-intelligent beings they were, he and his sheep opened fire. Corneo ducked and managed to roll out of the way while the rest of us had to make some interesting evasive maneuvers. Zack planted the Buster sword and took cover behind it, Cloud doing the same with his sword while Kunsel rolled to the opposite side of the room as Corneo and Red, Tifa, and I all jumped back into the stairwell.

Red and I proved to be the only ones capable of attacking then since we didn't need to get close to cast with our materia. I threw several lightning spells and Red cast fire, then Kunsel saw an opening and took it, jumping upon the troopers with a shout.

During the ensuing chaos as Kunsel took down the troops, Corneo managed to slip out of the room.

Once he was done, we all followed Kunsel out of the room and found we were back in the palace. Tifa's PHS went off right as we reached the front door and caught sight of everyone else plus the Turks.

"That Corneo is good at escaping." Reno rubbed his head, probably had a pretty bad headache.

"Elena." Rude mumbled. Reno shook his head and looked at his partner.

"Let's go Rude. We'll give'em a taste of what the Turks can do." Rude nodded and ran ahead while Reno glanced back at us.

"If Elena is in his hands, that's going to make things difficult."

"He took Yuffie from us." Cloud said.

"Don't misunderstand, we aren't joining you... But considering the circumstances we won't bother each other."

"Fine with us, we have no intention of cooperating with the Turks... Now what direction did you see Corneo go?" Zack was the one who spoke this time.

"Nice attitude, here's a clue; it's the place that stands out the most." Reno then turned and headed after his partner.

"Is it so hard to get a straight answer from that guy?" Zack declared even as Kunsel, Red, Cait, Vincent, and I took off.

"Where are you going?" Aeris called after us.

"Stands out the most!" I shouted back, pointing at the large monument that stood behind the village.

Zack smacked himself when he realized we were right and charged after us, quickly overtaking Cait and me. Everyone else caught up easily enough and kept pace with us as we ran to the monument, Cloud stopping to make an offering at the box before the monument.

We met the Turks at the base of the mountain and Reno stepped up once more.

"Took you long enough, we're going to split in two, you do whatever you want but don't endanger Elena, and we won't do anything to endanger Yuffie."

"Fine by us!" Kunsel pushed past the Turks, surprising almost everyone in his haste. I rushed after him and heard the others start their own trek.

"Slow down!" I ordered, barely able to keep up as Kunsel took the path that headed almost straight up the monument.

"We need to hurry or he might hurt them!" Kunsel barked back then turned as he reached the peak and peered down, obviously trying to spot them. "Found 'em!" He shot down past me, heading for the statue's hands.

I followed quickly but carefully, not wanting to slip.

"LET... ME... GO!" Yuffie's yell reached my ears right as I saw Kunsel get grabbed by Vincent, he obviously told the man to calm down.

Vincent had paired up with Red and the four of us snuck around the rocks to see what was going on.

Corneo stood on one of the hands of the statue, Yuffie and Elena tied up and hanging in front of the eyes of the statue.

"Hmm, delicious, scrumptious! I think I found a new hobby!" Corneo jiggled as he laughed and I had half a mind to push him.

"Should I go... with HER?" Corneo looked at Elena as though he were a dog considering a slab of meat. Elena looked beyond disgusted.

"Hey, I'm one of the Turks! Don't think you can get away with this!" Corneo ignored her and danced around looking at Yuffie.

"Or... maybe... HER?" Yuffie looked extremely annoyed and sicked.

"Oh god, if I knew this was going to happen I would have taken rope escape lessons more seriously."

"I have made my choice! My companion for the night will be... the cheerful one!" Yuffie looked horrified.

"GROSSNESS! Don't mess with me old man! You don't even have any materia!"

"Oh and she's saucy too! Whee, wheee!"

"If we push him now, no jury in the world could convict us," Kunsel murmured.

Before any of us could agree or disagree, Cloud and Zack jumped past us, ruining any possibility to ambushing Corneo, not that Kunsel seemed like he could take much more of this. We joined Cloud and Zack on the arm.

"Oh man! Kunsel, get me down!"

Corneo seemed startled about having company but tried to cover it up with some false bravado as well as confidence that he could one up us.

"Oh long time no see," Corneo said looking at our group.

"You damn Midgar hyena!" Barret appeared further up the arm, gun ready.

"We should have taken care of you back at Midgar." Tifa yelled as she appeared also. Corneo looked angry.

"Be quiet! None of you know how much I've suffered since then... It's a long story but..."

"Did it involve you being remanded to a laboratory in the name of "scientific research" that would be conducted by a madman?" I demanded. "If not, then I think we can easily claim worse experiences. Now release those women!"

"Oh you're all serious... Good, good. I don't have time to be messing around either, but why did you kill my little Aps? How about I make you play with my new pet? That way you can't get in the way of me searching for a bride!" Corneo whistled and called out. "Rapps come here!" From behind him a creature rose that looked like a pterodactyl with the wings of a bat. "Attack!"

Rapps screeched as it flapped its wings rapidly, climbing above us and circling. The wind was horrific and though Red and I fired spells, the blasting wind skewed our aim or caught our projectiles. Barret and Vincent also tried to fire on the monster but were experiencing similar problems. Tifa tried throwing a bolt plume but the wind sent it fluttering away to harmlessly zap air.

"Everyone down!" Cloud's yell was barely audible over the roaring winds, but everyone complied as Rapps decided to attempt to slash at us with a wing.

"I can't hit that damn thing!" Barret shouted as we all climbed back to our feet, the wind temporarily abating.

Zack glared at the monster that circled above us again and hefted his sword. "Guess we need to clip this bird's wings!" He leaped then, attempting to slash at Rapps before it could really get the wind going again. Unfortunately Rapps was easily able to avoid his strike and kept circling.

Zack landed hard next to Vincent and flapped his arms to keep his balance.

"We gotta make it stop for a moment!" The wind began to pick up again as Zack yelled.

The answer came in the form of a wave of cold as Cloud raised his armlet and summoned Shiva. The ice fairy appeared and with a wave of her hand ice began to form along the arm, making walking a treacherous act. Ice also formed on Rapps and the beast sank to the arm of the statue, struggling to stay aloft the whole way.

Neither Cloud, Kunsel, nor Zack wasted a moment. Before Shiva even began to fade they were charging the monster but their swords got in the way of one another. Cloud managed one laceration before he put his weapon away to try to beat the monster with his fists as Zack and Kunsel did the same.

Rapps managed the throw them off with a violent thrash which was responded to by Red casting fire as I cast lightning. Cait Sith also threw an ice spell but his angle was bad.

The pterodactyl still managed to regain the air by rolling off the side of the arm and catching the wind in his wings. It was a bit scorched and bruised but still had plenty of spirit.

"Damn it!" Kunsel yelled even as Barret opened fire on the monster again.

Confused why Vincent wasn't firing as well, I glanced over to see that Vincent had holstered his weapon and was staring intently at Rapps. A whisper from the Planet was the warning I received before the former Turk launched himself at the monster as it climbed.

His transformation into Galian wasn't done with a burst of light or anything so dramatic, rather his cape seemed to form a mist around him then dissipated into nothing, leaving the metamorphosized Vincent.

Galian slashed at Rapps as he passed then caught himself on the rock face between Yuffie and Elena, both women too shocked to say anything. Then he jumped again, this time catching Rapps across one of its wings and jumped off of the back of the flying beast as it came crashing back towards the arm.

Dodging the monster, I stared at Vincent's trajectory, realizing within a split second that there was very little chance of him catching himself on the ledge he had probably aimed for. Taking aim, I launched a Jedi style push, forcing Vincent/Galian towards the intended ledge.

Red had latched onto Rapps the moment it landed this time, pinning the monster by its neck while Zack and Kunsel both jumped forward, their fists smashing down onto the form of the beast. Cloud joined them a moment later, his sword slashing down onto the wings right as Zack was pried off by the monster's talons.

Once again Rapps managed to free itself by thrashing but this time as it tried to regain the air by rolling off of the arm of the statue, it discovered that its wings were too tattered now to support it. Everyone stared as the beast fell, screeching the whole way.

Still wielding his sword in a threatening manner, Cloud turned towards Corneo, Kunsel a mere step behind him. Corneo stared at them with wide eyes.

"Wait... Wait a second..."

"SHUT UP!" Kunsel bellowed, his rage apparent to all.

"Just listen to me, it won't take long. Why do you think a bad guy like me would swallow his pride and plead for his life?"

"Because he thinks he might win," Cloud responded then froze as he realized what had to be going on.

"Right!" Corneo exclaimed as he reached into his coat and pulled out a rather bulky controller, pressing one of the buttons with hardly a glance. On the cliff we heard yells and yelps as Yuffie and Elena were flipped upside-down. "If I push this button, they'll fall and then we'll have squashed tomatoes!"

Kunsel stared at the man, anger written all over his features. Then suddenly his eyes turned to me. His arm lashed out and grabbed me by the sleeve as he hauled me close. "Do something."

"Like what?" I hissed.

"I don't know, just do something or I'll tell everyone your little secret. The one involving how you got that hammer to jump into your hand on our first night camping," he whispered.

My eyes widened as I stared at Kunsel, wondering if he had figured me out already. Glancing around though, I saw that no one else seemed to be having any ideas though Zack and Cloud's eyes were narrowed at Kunsel.

"Please." Kunsel's plea was enough for me to take action.

Turning to face Corneo, I straightened myself up and crossed my arms, affecting the air of the in-control captain that my instructors had tried to ingrain into me from day one of flight training.

"Take a moment to seriously consider your situation," I ordered Corneo. "Behind you is a fall that will lead to your certain demise, and before you are three SOLDIERs, none of them could be rated as less than First class, and they are backed up by eight people with skills in everything from martial arts to medicine to mechanics." Corneo's gaze was still smug, him feeling as though he had some control. "If you press that button, these good men will insure you pay a very heavy price for killing our friend then hand you over to the Turks. I wonder what they would do upon finding out you kidnapped, assaulted, and ultimately killed one of theirs."

Corneo actually seemed to freeze, considering what I was saying.

"Hand over that remote," I ordered, calling to the power to put authority into my words and took a step forward. "Hand over that remote, release the girls, and we won't have to do something you would regret."

Corneo's hand loosened and I seized the moment, using a Jedi pull to make it look like Corneo threw to remote to me.

The fat man's eyes went wide as I stepped back, remote in hand.

Barret was the first to speak up. "So how're we gunna deal with this guy?"

"That's up to us." Corneo looked around for the new voice.

"Who goes there?" Looking behind the group I saw Reno casually walk up onto the statue's thumb and look at Corneo.

"The Turks?"

"You knew this was going to happen ever since you leaked the secret. We're going to take care of you personally." Corneo looked between him and our group, his eyes turning to a pleading expression.

"Y-you've got to understand, I-I…" Corneo took a step back and slipped in some of the remnants of ice left over from the summoning of Shiva. Corneo yelled as his hands lashed out, just barely catching the statue's thumb.

"Alright Corneo, this will be quick, so listen up." Reno strode past those of us already on the thumb, being careful of the ice, stopping right before where Corneo hung.

A jolt went through me then as Corneo's fear struck me. "Wait…" Kunsel stopped me by grabbing my shoulder and pulling me away from where Corneo was about to experience his last moments. "Don't do this!" I yelled back anyway, even as Barret grabbed my other shoulder and Tifa took the remote. Reno ignored me and instead stepped down onto Corneo's hand.

"Why do you think we went through all the trouble to team up with those guys to get you? One: because we are ready to die. Two: because we were sure of victory. Or three: because we are clueless." He started twisting his foot, making Corneo shake his head.

"Two... It's number two!"

"All wrong." He stomped on his foot one last time making the man let go and fall off the mountain, just like his pet had. Aeris and I both turned our eyes away.

"The correct answer was because it's our job."

"Oh thank you so much, I didn't think you would help!" Elena yelled to Reno who sighed and looked at the woman.

"Elena, don't act so weak, you're a Turk!" She abruptly adopted her business face, which was really red now due to being upside down.

"Yes sir." She yelled, and Reno finally did a double take.

"Guess all she needed was a little shock treatment…" He muttered as he turned to walk back along the arm.

I may not have liked Corneo's character in the least; he was a perverted, crude, and cowardly being whose death in the game had made me cheer for Reno in the original storyline before ever seeing Advent Children. In real life though, that was beyond cold.

It must have shocked everyone when I lashed out and struck Reno hard across the cheek. "He was helpless," was the only explanation I offered.

Reno didn't react in anyway other than to reply, "It's my job."

His phone went off a moment later and the Turk answered it without hesitation. "Yeah it's Reno... Yes... Yes... We'll get right to it." Reno looked at our group and closed his phone.

"Was that the company?" Elena called.

"Yeah, they want us to find Fair and crew."

"Are we on?" Rude asked, standing from where he had been attempting to deal with the rope system holding up Yuffie and Elena. Reno shook his head.

"No, today we're off duty." The group relaxed.

"I don't care about that. Get me down!" Kunsel glanced over at the rope system and walked over to try to figure it out.

Reno stopped suddenly before leaving and turned to stare at us. "The boss also said that an amateur pilot stole an airplane in Rocket Town. You guys know anything about that?"

"Amateur? All those stunts and he calls my skills amateur?" Well, Rufus has just made my rather short "shit list".

"Oh, so you do know. Might I ask where the plane is? Apparently it was pretty expensive."

I was almost at wits end. Tired, dirty, hungry, read and saw some of Hojo's experiments, heard and felt a man's death, and now my skills as a pilot were being insulted! "He can find his plane about a mile off of the coast near Rocket Town though most likely he'll need to send divers for it." I offered with a grin.


	29. Chapter 29

Tori: (stares at the mess in the kitchen) You were trying to make an apple pie?

Saria: Not trying, MADE. I made an apple pie!

Zas: (pulls out vanilla ice cream) which she intends to share.

Saria: Yeah, with Dontgotaclue88, Acebrainbuster, xxOMGgalxx, ShatterTheHeavens, and Azalie-Kauriu!

SA: (stares at what looks like the remains of a flour bomb) Why does it look like Yuffie came through here?

Zas: Didn't you know? Yuffie did come through.

Tori: Anything else to say?

Saria: Reviews and those who inspire me make me smile!

zzzzzzzzzz

As soon as we reached Yuffie's house, everyone who had a borrowed materia from me returned said materia while Yuffie first pulled out the rest of the materia and began trying to sort them out to everyone.

"They're all mixed up!" Barret yelled when Yuffie had set his in place. "I didn't have no Poison!"

"That would be one of mine," Red stated as he dug a Restore out of his armlet that Aeris identified as one that belonged to her. All around the group everyone began trying to sort out which materia went to who and if there were multiples of one materia, then which belonged to who. I had only equipped a junk Fire and several others that I cared nothing for in anticipation for Yuffie's theft so I let everyone else sort out the materia and whatever was left over would probably be what was mine.

The only two members that otherwise didn't have issues with the distribution of materia were Cait Sith since he only had the Transform to start with, and Kunsel who Yuffie had oddly enough given the correct materia.

A tap on my leg drew my attention right as I finished setting my materia back in their appropriate slots. Glancing down I saw Cait Sith holding out the Ice materia that I had loaned him.

"It's the one you loaned me in Mt. Nibel. Sorry to have on to it so long."

Glancing first at my filled slots and then his painfully empty ones, I took the materia and surprised him by equipping it into the cat's armlet.

"Hold onto it for me for a while longer," I told him. "I said it before, I'll say it again: you need a better balance of materia. I also have a Fire mixed in here somewhere that you can have."

Cait Sith blinked at me for a moment then stared at the materia. "Its high level, close to mastered. Have you had it long lassie?"

"Since Midgar," I stated with a smile as Zack turned around with some of the spare materia that he thought might be mine since I wasn't bickering with everyone else and nobody was claiming them.

"What since Midgar?" he asked as I accepted the four offered materia and set them before Cait Sith, surprised to find not just a Fire but also a Seal and a Mystify in the bunch. The last one was a Cover.

"The Ice materia I'm lending Cait," was my response before turning back to Cait Sith. "You can have any of these."

"The one you used to freeze the Sector 7 pillar?" Zack's innocent question caused Cait to suddenly stumble as he picked through the four materia I had offered.

"Yep!" I responded with a grin.

"So, are we heading out?" Tifa asked, she seemed oddly eager to leave.

Cloud glanced out of the window then groaned and shook his head. "It's almost night. Hey Yuffie, is there an inn?"

"You can stay at my dad's place, there's plenty of room!" Yuffie jumped up excitedly. "And could we possibly stay through tomorrow? There's some business I really want to attend to!"

Barret and Cid both jumped up themselves.

"Not stickin' round for more of your scams!" Barret yelled while Cid declared, "Ain't takin more of yur shit!"

"I think we do need at least a day of down time," Kunsel suddenly shouted over the ruckus that the two caused. When he had everyone's attention, he continued. "We're all exhausted, need some new clothes, and to restock on supplies."

"Not to mention see if anyone around here does know something about the Temple of the Ancients." The normally silent Vincent was the one who offered this point.

It was agreed then that we would all stay for another day or so and we headed to the palace where we were surprised to be welcomed warmly enough by Godo who instructed his servants to treat us as honored guests.

We were allowed to choose rooms around the inner court of the house near where the indoor koi pond was located. Though there were enough rooms for everyone to have their own, we still ended up sharing since we all discovered that after sharing tents for so long being alone in a room proved a strange experience. Even I found it weird to be alone in a room after several weeks of being in constant company with the others.

Aeris and I agreed to share a room and that evening everyone ate dinner in a well appointed dining room. Remembering previous experience involving how well Zack did with chopsticks, I sat on the opposite end of the table, shoving myself between Vincent and Cid.

Dinner was every bit the fiasco that I thought it would be. Aside from Yuffie, Vincent, and I, no one truly knew how to use chopsticks. Kunsel knew enough that he only dropped about half of his food and Aeris was averaging about the same. As for everyone else…

"Oops!" Cid said as he accidentally dropped yet another piece of meat, this one falling into the communal rice bowl.

"Don't worry too much!" Zack yelled from the other end of the table. He had abandoned his own chopsticks and was just using his fingers. Currently though he was holding the chopsticks, imitating the Gaia version of a walrus.

Barret, who had also abandoned his chopsticks, pointed at Zack and declared, "Vampire porcupine!"

Cloud's chopsticks snapped then as he tried to suppress his laughter and lost control of his strength. The snapped stick arced over the table and hit Yuffie who squawked at the indignity.

Beside me, Cid roared with laughter. "Serves ya right, shit thief!"

Yuffie's response was to grab a bowl of rice but before she could throw it, Kunsel reached over and plucked it from her hands.

"Don't start something like that!" Tifa was making an honest effort to use the chopsticks but she was proving to be less than successful. "How can anyone use these things!"

"Rachas isn't having too much of a problem."

Red was sitting at the table also; in fact the only one absent was Cait Sith. Should have known that he would notice something such as someone eating with odd utensils.

"Neither is Vincent," I countered before taking another serving from a meat and vegetable dish.

"Come to think of it, where did you guys learn?" Yuffie asked as she eyed our fingers. "It's unusual for gaijin to use chopsticks like you guys do."

I glanced at Vincent before answering. "I was taught when I was about five by visitors."

"My father was half-Wutaian. His mother taught me."

Yuffie shrugged then all of us turned when the door of the dining room slid open. Lord Godo entered the room then and walked to the head of the table.

"Good to see you're all settling in," he declared as he seated himself. "I've had the onsen cleaned out for you all so that you can bathe in peace before turning in."

Tifa stared at the man, confusion evident. "Onsen?"

"Hot spring," Yuffie and I replied automatically.

Godo nodded as he took up his own chopsticks and served himself. "Our family onsen is divided into three areas: men, women, and mixed. You should all be quite comfortable."

Despite the fact that dinner was only half over, if that, Aeris, Kunsel, and surprisingly Barret all leaped to their feet and raced from the room, intent for their baths.

"You've made their week most likely," Zack informed Godo.

Godo laughed as he took a sip of his sake. "Good to have guests that aren't Shinra. And you're able to deal with my disrespectful daughter to boot." He didn't even spare Yuffie a glance.

My discomfort instantly rose and I found I really did want a bath. Placing my chopsticks down, I uttered a quick, "Gochisosama," and left the room quickly. One of the servants met me outside of the room and escorted me to the women's bathing area where a basket for my clothes was provided and a bucket with basic bathing supplies.

After a thorough scrubbing in the wash area, I walked out the door opposite the changing room and found the hot spring. Aeris was already there, looking a bit uncertain about the water. Tifa arrived several minutes later and we all stepped into the water.

"What happened?" I asked Tifa as I gazed around the onsen.

Tifa sighed loudly. "You left at a good time. Yuffie and her father started a fight and she declared that she was going to challenge the Pagoda tomorrow to prove her strength. He laughed and said she was a failure of a ninja. Cloud realized it should stay private and got up as did almost all of us. Zack actually joined in the fight and declared that Yuffie is a part of our team and a great asset and friend."

"Good," Aeris said as she settled into the water.

Having finished my survey of the area, I leaned back and relaxed myself.

"So, do either of you know anything about the Temple of Ancients?" Tifa asked after a few moments.

"I didn't even know such a thing existed," Aeris replied.

I bit my lip, uncertain of how I should respond. It wouldn't jeopardize my identity to admit knowledge of this but it might make the others start pumping for more knowledge. "I do…"

Tifa's head jerked up at me for my admission. "Why didn't you say something before?"

"I only have a general idea of where it is. And I know that the secrets of the Temple should be safe since it requires a key to enter and I've no clue where that was hidden."

"So you want to check to see if it might be in Wu-"

Yuffie came running in then and leaped into the water. "Alright! Glad I didn't miss you guys! No fun bathing alone." She laughed and moved to what was most likely her favorite part of the spring. "Can you believe my old man? I mean seriously, I'm not a kid anymore! I'm more than ready for the Pagoda!"

"What's the Pagoda?" Aeris asked.

"The Pagoda is a five story tower where the warriors of Wutai are able to test their skills. It can be seriously tough! Could I borrow some of your materia?" Tifa groaned while Aeris and I burst into laughter. Leave it to Yuffie to first steal materia then to ask if she could use it.

"YOU SAID SHE COULD USE OUR WHAT?" A roar went through the air and all heads turned to a wooden wall.

"Was that Barret or Cid?" I finally asked.

"I… don't know…" Tifa replied. "I think it was probably Barret."

"Yo girls! Did you hear what that fucking retard Zack promised the shit thief?"

"About her using our materia?" Aeris called back.

"Don't think I have any she'll want." Tifa adamantly declared. "Mine are mainly meant for support."

"I want to borrow the really high level stuff, every summon we have plus the highest levels of Fire, Ice, Lightning, and anything else that can do a lot of damage!"

Those of us in the women's baths stared at Yuffie and the men's side was very quiet also.

"Yuffie, I don't think that's a smart battle plan…" I started but was cut off.

"I need the strongest materia we have so I can teach my old man a lesson by conquering that Pagoda tomorrow!"

Kunsel finally yelled over the wall, "Do you have the magical capacity for that?"

Yuffie seemed to stop and think then, then pouted in his direction. "But I want to win tomorrow!"

"Do you know anything about the fights you'll face in there?" Cloud's voice asked.

"No! Those are kept secret to the Pagoda. Even I don't know who the warriors of the Pagoda are!" Yuffie acted as though that were supposed to be common knowledge.

Silence reigned for a moment then I tried to remember what the fights from the Pagoda. "I'll loan you a Restore, Elemental, and some of the casting items I have as long as Kunsel goes with you."

"What? But those won't cause much damage!"

"They'll help you in case you get hurt or help prevent you from getting hurt. And I will be expecting them back."

Tifa sighed then. "I can lend Sense if Kunsel goes."

"Why am I being forced to go?" Kunsel yelled over the wall.

"Both Zack and Kunsel go with the brat? Sounds good ta me!"

"What? Why do I have to go too?" Zack's voice called out after Barret's announcement.

"Because you said she could use our materia," Red's voice sounded tired. "I will loan Poison but I anticipate you insuring its return. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I've had enough."

Feeling slightly dizzy myself, I also got out of the hot spring and walked back to where I had left my clothes. Though I didn't look forward to wearing my filthy, sweaty clothes, I had not anticipated finding they were not there. Instead of my clothes there was a pretty medium blue yukata with a peach blossom pattern.

Seeing no other option, I pulled on the yukata, careful to insure the left side overlapped the right and tied the sash. In place of my shoes were a pair of zori and I thanked every deity I could think of that they weren't geta.

Not feeling ready to go to bed, I wandered the halls, eventually finding my way outside and headed towards the monument.

_**AVALANCHE**_

A few minutes after Red and Rachas had left the rest of AVALANCHE decided that they had had enough of the onsen also and had gone inside to change. Now they found themselves in a simple tea room, all of them clad in yukatas, and for some reason Yuffie was giggling at each of them.

"What's so funny?" Cid finally demanded. He was irritated for several different reasons at this point. All of the servants were so polite and docile, his clothes were all missing, the servants had stared then averted their eyes after he put on the yukata, and now Yuffie was giggling at each of them in turn.

"N-n-nothing," Yuffie managed to force out. "Barret looks even funnier in that yukata than the sailor suit!"

All eyes turned to Barret and several snickers could be heard. The large man had barely been able to squeeze into the cream colored yukata he had been provided, his muscular arms causing rather bizarre bulges. He hadn't been able to reattach his gun arm before putting on the robe so the sleeve was pulled up to his elbow and bunched there, unable to slip over the machine.

"This thing ain't bad, kinda like wearin' a bathrobe."

"A bear wearing a marshmallow," Cloud stated with a chuckle and ducked when Barret's hand attempted to swat him.

"Maybe we need to get some pictures and show Marlene!" Zack teased as a servant appeared with a tea tray and several cups.

Tifa grinned at the thought then remembered something she had meant to bring up. "Guys, it seems Rachas has an idea where the Temple of the Ancients is-"

"What? Then why are we here?" Kunsel sat up and demanded.

"Gotta agree, she knows where to go, why waste our fuckin time here?" Cid added as he picked up his tea cup and took a sip then made a face and spat it out. "Can't believe I'm sayin' this but I miss Shera's tea. What is this shit, grass?"

"Green tea and these are dango," Yuffie explained as she grabbed a skewer of oddly colored balls from the tea tray.

"She said it's because the Temple needs a key to open and she doesn't know where that was hidden," Aeris informed them, bringing the topic back to the front.

"Can't she just do her Ancient talk to the Planet deal?"

"Talk to the Planet?" Cid stared at everyone in confusion as did Yuffie and Vincent to a lesser extent.

Tifa groaned as she realized they had never really explained Aeris or Rachas's predicament. Luckily Aeris decided to make explanations for them.

"Rachas and I are from an old race known as Ancients. We have abilities like talking to the Planet. When Shinra found out about our existence they tried to capture us for use in their labs."

Vincent, who had been sitting away from the group for the most part, narrowed his eyes slightly. "Isn't an Ancient what Jenova was?" he asked.

"From what Rachas has told us, Jenova got confused for an Ancient but is actually a Calamity." Kunsel had also picked up a cup of tea and was sipping at it.

"She wanted to come here to see if there were any records about either the Ancients or the Keystone." Aeris picked up her tea after adding her final bit of information.

"Doesn't seem like Sephiroth has been here though," Cloud finally stated. "We've been all over this village and have seen no trace of him, not even the slightest hint."

"Guess that gamble was wrong, but do you think you or Rachas could locate the Keystone?" The last part of Kunsel's question was directed as Aeris.

"We might be able to. I've never done anything like that before though."

Across the room, Vincent leaned back against his wall and listened to the other eight as they hammered out plans of action. Some things were making a bit more sense, such as Rachas's level of knowledge in regards to the Ancients. Other things were still not making sense though, such as Chaos's increasing weariness of her. Galian seemed more at ease, but the rest of the demons were warning him of something without actually saying what it was they were worried about.

_**Normal**_

Scouting the statue proved to be a bit difficult in a yukata, but I was determined to find a secluded place for Aeris's training and asking Godo about an empty training room or court may draw attention. The statue was riddled with caves and I found the spear that I could pass on to Cid. It seemed the perfect place to get a bit of uninterrupted time to start Aeris's training. And to do a bit of star gazing tonight.

Using the spear as a hiking stick, I climbed the rest of the way to the peak and was surprised to find Cait Sith there already.

"Evening lass," he murmured and I was certain right then that Reeve was in control and I was oddly glad.

"Not wanting to forget the stars again?" I teased as I walked to the skyward reaching hand and sat down next to the cat. "You've been missing for a few hours now."

"So you came looking for me?"

"No, this is a coincidence. I was just looking for a place to star gaze."

Silence reigned for several minutes after that before either of us said anything.

"Lass, why did you strike that Turk like that?"

"Because what he did was..." I couldn't think of the words I wanted to use. Wrong didn't quite seem to fit, cold fit but it was more than that. "Let's just say I don't support killing the defenseless."

"What of capital punishment?"

"Tricky issue. On one hand it is expensive to keep people alive sometimes. On the other hand it is still killing. I guess Dio back in Gold Saucer has a good idea of placing criminals in a natural prison, one where he can keep an eye on them to a certain degree. I wish he had a better system in place for trials though. What of yourself?"

Cait glanced looked up at the stars again. "I don't support capital punishment."

Silence reigned for another minute.

"What do you think of Cid?"

I wrinkled my nose slightly. "He seems alright though crude and rough around the edges. If I were in Shera's shoes I probably would have knocked him into next week long ago with the way he talks and acts around her. Heaven help him if he ever thinks he'd be able to get away with talking to me like that. What do you think of Red?"

We went back and forth for a while after that, talking about everyone in AVALANCHE, I also informed him we would be staying through tomorrow due to Yuffie wanting to challenge a monument of her people. Cait even laughed as I described for him what dinner had been like, mainly centering on Zack's antics with the chopsticks and the almost food fight.

A yawn reminded me it was getting late and I had a big day planned tomorrow.

"Don't stay up too late Cait," I said before the cat's hand shot out and caught mine. Turning back I saw a strange expression in the cat's eyes, almost a human expression really yet I couldn't quite place it.

Cait Sith realized what he was doing a moment later and released my hand then stood. "Can't have a lady walking back by herself," he explained as he hopped back on his mog then helped me up in turn.

The walk back down the statue was a quiet one, as was the walk back through the village. I bid Cait Sith good night again before entering the room I would be sharing with Aeris and found her already there and a pair of futons were already set out.

"Zack and Kunsel both agreed to go with Yuffie to the Pagoda tomorrow," Aeris informed me. "Where did you disappear to?"

"I was looking for a place to start your training tomorrow." Aeris glanced up, surprise and joy in her eyes. "I think I found the perfect spot where we won't be interrupted so we can start in the morning." It was then I got a good look at her yukata and had to bite back a laugh. "Why are you dressed like a corpse?"

"A corpse?" Aeris's eyes went wide.

"Didn't Yuffie tell you? The right flap overlapping the left is how they dress a corpse here." At least that was how it was in Japan and thus far my information and observations of the village of Wutai indicated that it was near identical to Japan. That and I had taken care to notice how the servants and Godo wore their kimonos and yukatas.

Aeris turned away then as I pulled back the comforter of my futon and got into bed. I assumed she was just fixing the flap detail as I turned over and closed my eyes.

Morning came and that was when I discovered that not only the clothes I had worn yesterday were missing, but every article of clothing in my bag was missing as well! It shouldn't hinder Aeris's initial training but it did seem an inconvenience.

Any thoughts of inconvenience flew from my head that morning as our group gathered for breakfast. Everyone, including Vincent and Barret, was dressed in yukata. What made it funny was the way everyone wore their yukata. We girls were all fine since we had taken a moment to inform Tifa of the meaning of flaps. She had swatted Yuffie's head when the other girl started laughing.

As for the men, Cloud and Kunsel wore their yukatas well, even if they still had right over left configuration on their flaps, but they were the only ones. Vincent's clawed left arm was difficult to push through the sleeve and apparently his efforts had shredded the left arm of his yukata so he had simply torn it off. Cid was still half asleep and had put his on backwards. Barret looked like the he was winning a wrestling match with his, and Zack was wearing his half off.

Aeris was the one to try to determine why Zack was dressed the way he was. "Zack, why is your robe half off?"

Zack glanced down then blushed slightly before replying. "I'm not very good with chopsticks and I didn't want to ruin this nice robe they loaned us."

Unlike yesterday Cait Sith joined us that morning so we had the whole team for breakfast which was a simple fare of grilled fish, pickled vegetables, rice, and miso soup. This meal proved to be just as funny as the previous one when Zack tried to eat one of the pickled plums and the pit got caught in his throat. Cloud jumped up to slap Zack's back and his hard slaps caused Zack to spit the pit into Cid's face who started flapping around and accidentally struck Tifa's hand. Tifa had her cup of tea in hand and it went sailing across the table, almost hitting Aeris before Vincent slapped it away. The cup then struck Yuffie who spilled her soup into Barret's lap who in turn jumped up and accidentally overturned the table on everyone on the opposite side, me included.

I hadn't meant to do anything but when the table was crashing down at us, I acted as though on instinct and reached out, pushing the table and dishes away with the power. The end result was the table, dishes and all, were launched to the other side of the room, out an open set of sliding doors, and into the rock garden.

Everyone stared for a moment then I laughed nervously when Kunsel, Aeris, and Vincent's eyes all turned to me, which naturally drew everyone's attention.

"My fault," I explained. "I've been sitting on a limit break since yesterday and it just kind of…"

"Kind of like the wave back in Junon?" Cloud asked and everyone relaxed.

Breakfast ended there and I handed my promised materia and items to Kunsel and passed over the spear I'd found to a now very awake Cid before grabbing Aeris and heading towards the statue.

"The others were wondering if we could find the key for the temple through the planet," Aeris informed me as we walked through the village.

"We'll have to see about that, I'll see what I can find after we begin your exercises today." Internally I was doing a jig; this would explain me leading us straight to the weapon seller's house easily.

Aeris and I made it to the cave where I found Cid's spear without incident and immediately we set upon the task at hand with me first having her call out to the Planet's energy that surrounded us and draw it to her. It was impossible to explain in any other words so I had to reach out myself several times and first draw the power to me and then to her, getting her used to the feeling.

"I think I finally understand," Aeris reported after an hour of practicing and I had to agree. Her control was rough but she was definitely drawing the power to her without my aid.

"The first step is drawing it to you then letting it work with and through you, both as your guide and as a tool. At no point can you forget though that this is the Planet's power, so you can't abuse anything you learn. It'll take a while for you to get used to drawing on this power."

Aeris nodded at my words, her control already slipping. "This is… different than what I expected…"

"While using this power you are keenly aware of all life, it becomes a part of you. You have to be very careful." I remembered then my own experiences involving the Sector 7 plate and Gold Saucer and shuddered slightly.

"So, are all the things you mentioned in the stories true about Jedi abilities?"

"I haven't managed everything, but I can do some things. One would think abilities would vary from person to person, much like personalities or regular powers. I would believe you have a strong affinity for plants like Hestizo whereas if I can do something particularly specialized I haven't found it yet." Turning then, I summoned a stone on the ground to my hand then levitated it over my palm. "This is what you'll be learning first, it'll help you learn to keep the power flowing through you."

Aeris's eyes had gone wide when she saw me levitate the stone then she reached down eagerly to pick a stone from the floor.

"Don't do that," I ordered, causing Aeris to bounce back into a standing position. "Focus on one of the stones and call it to you. When you manage that then try levitating it."

Aeris nodded and did as I said, focusing on one stone in particular. She called on the power and tried to bring the stone to her and at first nothing happened.

I waited a minute before calling out the instruction to relax.

Aeris nodded and tried to do as I said before trying again. After five minutes she seemed to finally be getting it and the stone did roll a little when she called but she was quickly growing frustrated.

"You're trying to force it," I finally said.

Aeris was frustrated though and trying her best. "Not easy to relax right now." Her statement was polite but said through tight lips.

"Let's take a quick break," I told her, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the entrance of the cave. The fresh air outside felt amazing and Aeris seemed to relax almost instantly though I could feel her annoyance at not being able to call the stone.

"The first part is always the most difficult," I offered as we walked up the path towards the peak. "It's when information is new and hardest to apply."

"How long did it take you to learn?" Aeris's question wasn't unexpected but I wasn't sure how to answer. I had been hooked on Star Wars at eight and had always thought it would be awesome to be a Jedi though it was the space travel that REALLY got my attention.

"I guess I started trying to learn at eight, wasn't successful though until shortly before I met you guys. Only advantage I had is that I knew the stories."

Aeris seemed a bit downtrodden at the notion of this taking so long. "Will it take that long?"

"No," I replied firmly. "You're doing better than I ever did up until maybe three days or so before I met you."

We returned to the cave again after that and Aeris once again tried to call a stone to her hand. Taking the available few minutes that I had, I let myself slip into a meditation and let the Lifestream carry me away while I focused on the Keystone, just in case Aeris decided to try to follow me as she had done in the Shinra building.

The weapon's merchant was easy enough to find, the Keystone was sitting in a place of honor in his collection at the moment though I knew that would change shortly.

Returning to the cave led to a bit of a funny scene, Aeris had noticed my meditation and had redoubled her efforts to bring the stone to her hand. At the moment the aforementioned stone was bouncing around, leaping at Aeris's outstretched hand before her control broke and it dropped back to the ground before Aeris focused on bringing it to her again.

"Don't start celebrating until after the stone is in your hand," I called out.

Aeris focused hard then and the stone finally made it all the way to her hand. Her joy was punctuated with a jump and a huge smile.

Offering my own smile on congratulations, I stood and called the pebble to my hand.

"Good job, but I think we should end here for today."

Aeris opened her mouth to protest but I cut her off.

"You need a little time to rest right now, and we don't want anyone to miss us. Bring the pebble with you though; we'll be able to use it for more training."

Aeris was giddy as she grabbed the pebble and we began our climb down the statue. "Did you find the Keystone by any chance?"

"Yeah," I told her. "I have a feel for where it is, or should be. I can't give an exact location though." The last thing we needed was for Shinra to beat us to the Keystone.

We arrived back at the palace and found that Zack, Yuffie, and Kunsel were still at the Pagoda. Everyone else had opted to either spend the day browsing the weapon shop in town or upgrading their equipment themselves. Though my new knives had just been bought in Cosmo Canyon, I accompanied Cloud to the weapon shop that afternoon as we waited for the Pagoda crew to finish.

Though there were plenty of tantōs and knives, they all felt cheap and I realized another reason why Yuffie was so mad about Shinra. When she said they had turned Wutai into a resort town she literally meant a resort town. These supposed weapons were actually souvenirs; they'd never survive an actual fight. Another difference from the game: no fake weapons in the game.

Finally as the afternoon began to fade, Zack, Kunsel, and Yuffie finally came back to the palace. Zack handed back everyone's materia while Kunsel, who had carried Yuffie back piggy-back style, put the mini-ninja to bed.

"It was tough on her but she won all her fights," Zack announced with a grin. "Her own father gave her the prizes for winning."

"Which were?" Cid's mood had drastically improved after he had found a pipe and locally grown tobacco. It still reeked though.

"A scroll and a materia." Everyone looked ready to face-fault.

Barret seemed to recover first. "We leavin tomorrow then? Ain't got time to just sit."

"I think we're all ready to go," Cloud stated. "But we'll need to either get our clothes back or find new ones."

"No need to worry about that," a voice that I now recognized as Godo's floated through the door. "I simply ordered my servants to wash them. They should be done by now."

"Great! We can all get outta these fuckin dresses now!" Cid cheered as he raced to his room followed closely by Barret.

"Those aren't dresses; they're traditional clothes of a proud Wutaian!" Godo yelled after them.

"I think we now know where Yuffie gets her temper from," I said to no one in general.

True to Godo's words, our clothes were in fact in our rooms, mine stacked next to my pack. Rummaging through them I winced when I saw how much wear and tear they were getting. Only one set of pants, two shirts, and two socks plus the jacket I had bought while shopping with Aeris had survived. The rest of my clothes would never be suitable for public wear ever again.

"How are you on clothes?" I asked Aeris.

"I'm down to one dress, one skirt, and one jacket."

Guess we would be making a pit stop for some clothes.

_**Shinra**_

That vacation had done wonders! Tseng had no idea what happened but Elena seemed to almost be back to her old self and was no longer babbling nonsense. Now if only they could figure out what to do about Rude.

"Would you mind telling me what happened?" Tseng asked Reno who fidgeted on the other side of the desk.

"We… Uh… Got really drunk, yo." Reno tried to think back through the haze that surrounded their days of vacation. "I think we met AVALANCHE and Don Corneo. He kidnapped and wanted Elena to sleep with him. Don't know what he did to her, then we got her back and she was alright."

Tseng felt his jaw drop as he stared at his subordinate. That was the most unorthodox manner of dealing with a mental illness that he had ever heard of! Usually women who almost got sexually molested by Corneo came out mentally scarred lesbians, not stable!

"And where is Corneo now?" Surely Reno hadn't done anything stupid, had he?

"Got that one right, yo! He'll never bother Shinra again after his most recent fall."

There wasn't enough green tea in existence to deal with this sort of stupidity. "You let the man who seemed to know the only method of snapping Elena back into her right mind fall?" His voice was a dead pan at this point.

Reno seemed to realize then that he had done something rather stupid. "Heh heh, oops, yo?" he offered, his hand rubbing the back of his head.

_**Normal**_

Aeris and I weren't the only ones who needed clothes. Everyone except Cid and Vincent needed new clothes actually. It was a bit difficult and the results were kind of funny, but we did manage to find one set of clothes for each person.

Yuffie laughed throughout dinner after catching a glimpse of us.

"You guys look like you just robbed a dojo!" our youngest member declared between peals of laughter.

Godo who was seated at the head of the table was visibly shaking as he held a saucer of sake up to his mouth.

Glancing down the table I had to agree with their sentiment. Although each of us had made personal adjustments such as removing the sleeves or in my case wearing the top open with a black cami underneath, it didn't defeat the fact that each of us was wearing a white gi.

"Maybe we should make this a uniform. You're out of uniform Yuffie!" Zack shouted.

"Punishment time!" Barret eagerly grabbed the rice bowl in front of him.

Kunsel attempted to grab the bowl but missed as Barret tripped enroute to dump the dish on Yuffie. Aeris and I yelped and laughed as the food fell on us.

"Hey!" Zack yelled as he grabbed his bowl of miso soup and slung it at Barret who yelped and reached out, grabbing the salad that was in front of Aeris and threw it right back.

Yuffie was laughing again as were Cid, Tifa, and Godo. Aeris surprised me by grabbing a plate of pickles in front of her and throwing them one after another at Cid and Yuffie. Both retaliated by grabbing plates from in front of them and throwing the contents at various people in the room, even Vincent got hit with a meatball.

The chaos that ensued was probably a food fight for the record books. Cloud armed himself with chopsticks and then he and Tifa took cover behind Barret, declaring him their meat shield.

Red teamed up with Cid and the two simply went on pure offense, tossing food at everyone with little regard to being hit themselves. Vincent took to the ceiling and stared at us in bewilderment though I did see his lips quirk every so often.

Aeris and Zack managed to grab several of the floor cushions to build an almost fort that toppled quite easily each time it was hit with anything.

Kunsel joined forces with Yuffie and her father, the three of them taking cover behind the man's chair and throwing food at random.

I ended up paired with Cait Sith and we took two plates each to act as shields and catch whatever our next projectiles would be.

The fight was messy, not very long-lived, and exactly what we had all needed to unwind. We were all still laughing as we left for the bathrooms, first bathing, and then yelling over the walls of the onsen at each other. As we sat around the tea room for some tea that evening I was reminded of several times that I had stayed with friends over the years except this seemed better for some reason.

I had had plenty of green tea before so I knew what to expect when I drank the tea. The level of difference in taste still surprised me though, surprised me to the point where I almost asked if Yuffie if this were really green tea. The mitarashi dango was amazing also though my experience with dango to compare it with was rather limited.

It was at this time that I announced that I had searched for the Keystone through the Lifestream and had an idea which direction to go.

"You're serious?" Zack asked, excitement apparent about finally getting a move on again.

"It's just a feeling, like I know where to go but couldn't really point it out on a map."

"How exact of you," Barret looked less than thrilled about the notion of following a feeling.

Everyone else had mixed reactions as well; some were happy to know I had an idea of where to go, others were like Barret and really put off at the notion of following a feeling.

"In other news, one of the villagers has a truck he uses to bring supplies in from the southern part of Wutai. He'd agreed to give us a lift to a village near the plane!" Yuffie's announcement was met with much enthusiasm.

"We don't have to walk?"

"Can he fit all of us?"

"Ain't sittin next to the fuckers with motion sickness."

When we finally adjourned for the evening and went to our rooms for the night, I found myself looking forward to getting on the move again. Sure Wutai was nice and the food was great, but the chaos of moving around, of not staying anywhere for too long was something I was used to, even on Earth.

_**Shinra**_

Rufus stared at the report set in front of him by Reeve, uncertain as to how he should react.

Little by little, the man's reports were becoming vague, going from reporting every step that AVALANCHE took at any point in time to simply reporting locations and goals of the team. This particular report stated that AVALANCHE's materia was stolen by a teammate who returned it to them after they rescued her from Don Corneo. Also noted was that Cid Highwind had joined AVALANCHE and told them about the Temple of the Ancients.

Reeve was still doing his job, telling them the required information even if his heart didn't seem completely into it. As long as he fulfilled that aspect of this mission though, Rufus would keep him on. The man was too brilliant and dedicated to just let go.

Throwing the report in with the other reports they had on AVALANCHE, Rufus turned now to the problem at hand: his scouts had just found the Temple of the Ancients but couldn't seem to get inside. It was a conundrum! He really hoped he wouldn't have to mobilize his forces to capture one of the Ancients again, that seemed like it would be such a waste of resources.

Still though, if that was what was required in order to find the Promised Land, then he would do it.


	30. Chapter 30

SA: Let me get this straight… We're NOT getting a permanent address this time?

Saria: Nope! We're going to be living out of a backpack for awhile.

Zas: So, crashpads and FBO pilot break rooms again?

Saria: Yep! And showers will be based on availability once more! Just like the last time I went non-contract and as they stand for Rachas!

Tori: Not again!

zzzzzzzzzz

The day we left Wutai started out well enough. I was up shortly before dawn as was becoming normal for this trip. Being used to constant traveling also made it difficult to sleep in. I pulled on my last pair of cargos, a clean shirt, and my hunters green jacket before slipping out of the room Aeris and I shared.

I wasn't surprised that Zack and Cloud were already up, but seeing them on the training field was something else. Both must have been getting pretty restless if the way they sparred was any indication. It wasn't even a dance that I witnessed as so many people described sword fights; this looked more like a duel of fire and electricity! Sparks flew as their blades clashed against one another, a whistling could be heard from the strokes of the swords cutting through the air. One of them had to have equipped an Elemental, of that I was certain.

Being sorely reminded of my own sword skills, I made a note to myself to either practice the Jedi forms or to get an actual lesson.

"You know it's rude to watch this sort of fight without permission." Turning I found Kunsel standing there, his eyes also watching the fight.

"I don't think they'll mind, it's not like I could even hope to copy them. Not much of a fighter, remember?"

Kunsel shrugged at my words, eyes wandering down to my sword; finally back in place at my side along with my knives.

"Do you know any forms with that thing?"

"Yeah, but I've just never employed them in a fight before." Or ever actually moved through them with a sword in hand.

"Then you might want to spar with someone, just to get used to it. Don't let Zack try to train you, I've seen how you move on the field. You prefer to strike fast in a specific place; Zack's style is all about striking hard. If he tries to train you, it'll only mess you up."

"Alright." Tifa's arrival spurred me to move away from the field and I quickly found an empty area where I ran through a Jedi kata with the sword quickly. The blade I'd picked up in Cosmo Canyon worked well, it had excellent balance and the weight worked well, but it still felt off, unnatural. Like it didn't quite work with the kata, and considering that it was meant for a lightsaber, I guess that should have been expected.

The sun rose shortly after and we ate a quiet breakfast before trooping out to the town entrance where the truck was already waiting for us.

Tifa was right last night; the truck was a bit on the old side and was a tight squeeze for everyone to get in. Tifa and Aeris sat up front with Red and Cait's robotic Mog sitting behind the cab seats. The rest of us sat in the back, Cait Sith being put in my lap to save on space.

The drive took two hours, two very long hours of sitting in a truck that really needed to have the shocks changed with Yuffie letting the world know her misery while Kunsel offered what little comfort he could. What really made the ride miserable for most of us was that after the first hour a light rain began to fall.

"Great, just jolly! How much worse can this day get?" Kunsel demanded from the back of the truck even as I laughed. Cait Sith wasn't looking too pleased but I was enjoying this.

"The fuck you laughin about?" Cid demanded, his mood turning foul with the weather.

"I love the rain!" It wasn't just that anymore though; all around the Planet seemed to sing with the rain, the plants laughing themselves even as the rain whispered about the air above.

A sodden Barret glared. "How can you love this mess?"

Zack was of a similar mindset as me and grinned as well under the warm shower. "Come on, bear man! The rain is great!"

"I'm getting wet!" Cait complained so I wrapped him in my jacket.

"You guys doing ok back there?" Tifa shouted from the cab.

"Fine Tifa," Cloud called back. Both he and Vincent seemed pretty neutral about the rain.

The rain didn't let up for the rest of the ride to the village or for the extra hour that it took for us to walk to the Tiny Bronco. As we piled on to the plane-turned-boat, Aeris and I still wore smiles as did Zack while almost everyone else groaned about being wet.

Cid had several space blankets that could be used for helping us stay somewhat dry on the plane and as he started up the Bronco the rest of us set up tent-like structures to house everyone not lucky enough to be in the cockpit.

We coasted back up the coast of Wutai that day and crossed the channel back to the Western Continent. Looking at the maps that Cloud had I was surprised that there was a river that cut straight through the continent, I mean I knew that there were rivers, but I didn't think they connected. It would take us almost directly to the weapon seller!

The rain cleared up soon after we crossed the channel and that night after we set up camp I called Aeris over and had her practice the levitation for almost thirty minutes before we joined everyone for dinner.

The rain had definitely come through these parts, the ground was wet and we couldn't even find dry enough wood for a fire. We had all mostly dried off during the day but it still annoyed everyone that we couldn't have a fire on our first night out.

"So, what are the watches going to be?" Cloud asked after everyone had finished eating.

"Been a few nights now, so anyone could be on watch," Tifa pointed out.

"I'll call last watch tonight!" I raised my hand, volunteering for the spot.

"Well, that's the way its gunna be, sign me up for first!" Cid called.

"I'll go second," Aeris volunteered moments later.

"Then I'll finish up the rotation tonight with the third shift!" Zack grinned. "Being woken by a beautiful lady and then waking another pretty one, don't get better than this!"

His comment drew some laughter and a light smack from Aeris to which he responded by kissing her cheek.

We all turned in soon after since we had no fire to see by.

_**Shinra**_

"In other news, I would like to announce that I have accepted the bid of Professor Hojo to return to Shinra as the Head of the Science Department." Rufus's announcement seemed to be received well enough by the other executives but as the man entered the door, Reeve felt his skin crawl. He had never liked the scientist to start with, but the confirmation of the atrocities he had committed, it cemented the man's permanent place of utter hatred in his heart.

"As for the matter at hand, though we have found the Temple of the Ancients through extensive searches, it remains closed to us. I've been considering the possibility of sending troops to capture one of the Ancients that are traveling with AVALANCHE to see if one of them would be capable of making the door open."

Reeve stared at Rufus, disbelieving what he was hearing. He hadn't even gotten to turn in his latest report and Rufus was already planning to kidnap either Aeris or Rachas and force them to open the temple? Much as he hated to do this, he couldn't let that happen, especially with Hojo back at Shinra.

"That might not be necessary," the Director of Urban Development stated, doing his best to remain cool and collected. "The recent report I received from Cait Sith indicates that they are searching for something that does open the temple, a Keystone."

The attention of all the department heads was now on him. Rufus's eyes stared at him in a semi-flat manner.

"Do they know where it is located?"

"Not at the moment. I believe they will acquire it though in the next several days."

"Then we will hold off the attack until they do as such. Once they have it, our taking it will still get the results we want."

"I doubt that will be necessary either. I'm certain that Cait Sith would be able to sneak the artifact away, thus saving us the cost of mobilizing troops and the possibility of one of AVALANCHE's members running off with it."

"I see," Rufus seemed ready to give the issue some thought then Heidegger opened his big mouth.

"Gya hah ha hah. No need for such planning. We'll just send in the troops to crush them and cut off all escape."

"Much like what should have happened in Junon?" Rufus snapped, his mind being made up rather rapidly. "You'll be in charge of this extraction, Reeve. Insure my Turks receive that Keystone. If you fail, then the troops will pick up after you. Now, Reeve, Tseng, and Hojo are to remain, the rest of you are dismissed."

The rest of the Board of Directors filed out then and Reeve found that he wished he could file out along with them, especially when Rufus's eyes locked on him again.

"I've noticed something in the reports from Cait Sith," Rufus began, tapping a stack of papers before him. "Little by little, you stopped reporting on the individuals of AVALANCHE and more on the group activities."

"The group is what we should be most concerned with."

Rufus seemed to almost chuckle then. "What I find really interesting is the progression in the way you referred to the various members of the group. They have gone from being Fair, Wallace, and Strife to Zack, Barret, and Cloud to not being mentioned if it isn't necessary."

"Forgive me, Cait Sith has grown comfortable with the group and with that comfort comes a change in reference, much like if he were a person. He is focused on the mission now, on reporting the necessary information on AVALANCHE."

Tseng looked at the reports himself then, also noticing something though he didn't mention it right away.

Rufus seemed to accept his explanation though and turned to the doctor. "You said that there were certain terms to your return, that you wanted to be included in the search for Sephiroth from now on and wanted the former Turk as well as the former SOLDIERs as specimens, correct?"

"That would be correct," Hojo's voice seemed to have a whole new layer of slime. "Though if another of the group interests me I may request them as well."

"Very well then. Once we have completed our current project then we shall have your requested subjects captured."

Rufus dismissed them then and Reeve quickly gathered his things to make his departure. As he entered the elevator though, he was surprised when the Tseng stepped in right behind him. Usually the Turk used the special elevator reserved for Turks.

"There was something else I noticed in your reports," Tseng stated plainly after the doors had closed behind them. "In your reports, you went from calling one of the AVALANCHE members "the blond Ancient" to Ms. Kaze to Rachas, much like you have done with the others. She is the one that you started doing this for first and also the one you stopped mentioning first."

Reeve felt himself freeze internally.

"If you want to insure that the President doesn't have a reason to pursue them from now on, I would suggest you find a way to keep your little toy in that group, even after it is found out." Tseng handed him a folder then. "I'm sure that this will be proper incentive for their cooperation."

Tseng pressed the button for the next floor then and departed. As soon as he was alone, Reeve opened the folder and felt slightly sick when he saw the picture of a little girl.

_**Normal**_

Zack's idea of waking someone up involved ripping the sleeping bag off of them. Being very much asleep and warm at the time this happened, lashing out should just be expected. So I was not apologetic when my foot caught Zack's leg.

"Ow…" he pretended to be mortally wounded.

"Shut up," I grumbled as I pushed past him, dragging my sleeping bag with me outside. There may have been no fire tonight, but the moon was almost full so I had no problem folding the camping device up and stowing it.

Glancing up at the stars, I found myself tracing the constellations again. Tiamat and Bahamut were to Gaia what Orion is to Earth: very easily recognized. I had just found Anu and Enlil again when shuffling came from the tents behind me.

"That you Cait?" I called without thinking.

"Yes lass, and good morning to you." Maybe it was just me but he didn't sound as chipper as he normally did. "Star gazing again?"

"Yeah, can you remember which constellations I pointed out to you?"

Cait Sith plodded over and sat next to me, pointing out Bahamut and Tiamat easily then Enlil, and finally Apsu and Ea. He was silent for a few moments after so I took the initiative.

"Is something bothering you?"

"What? Why would ye ask that?"

I shrugged and stared at Cait Sith. You never saw it in the game but I did wonder when Reeve truly turned against Shinra while still working for them. He had a lot of responsibility, so in a way I can understand what happened. Heidegger and Scarlet wouldn't do right by the people of Midgar and if he abandoned his post things could get much worse, especially when Sephiroth summons Meteor until Holy destroys it. Talk about between a rock and a hard place.

I still couldn't think of exactly why he would betray us to Shinra though and intended to find out when the betrayal did happen. Maybe the answer would make his acceptance easier.

"You're not acting the way you usually do. I thought that I would ask."

Cait Sith was silent for a moment before answering. "Considerin your story about Revan. How must he have felt to find out he was previously wrong and then choosing between savin his friend or finding that map. Lass, as selfish is this may seem, I think I would choose to save a friend."

"Most people would. Especially if they think they'll have the opportunity. Revan didn't have the option though, Shan was taken and the kidnappers gone before he could do anything."

"Do you think she would have hated him for saving her rather than retrieving the map piece?"

"No, maybe disliked that he abandoned his duty but I seriously doubt she would have hated him for saving her." Where was Reeve going with this? If this was meant to confuse me, well I owe him congratulations.

Cait Sith sighed then and seemed to relax. "Do you think we'll reach the Keystone today? It seems we're making good time lass."

"We might, hopefully whoever has it will be willing to part with it."

We didn't talk after that. I assumed that Reeve was talking about his betrayal when he asked about Revan and tried to make a correlation. I was drawing a bit of a blank though.

Red joined us an hour later and the three of us watched the sunrise as everyone else started to stir then rise and pack up camp. I got the first shift of operating the Tiny Bronco and sailed us south to the beginning of the river.

We spent most of the day fighting the current up the river and during that time I noticed a little problem involving the props of the plane.

"What'er you doing?" Cid demanded as I adjusted the propeller controls.

"Syncing the props."

"Why? The levers were even!" Cid's voice was increasing in volume.

"Because the harmonic discord is going to make everyone sick or induce headaches. And just because the levers are even doesn't mean the rotation of the propellers is synced!"

"Harmonic discord? Are you a pilot or a musician?" He was officially yelling now.

"Both!" I yelled back at Cid. "I can actually fly the plane AND tune it!"

"Are you saying I can't fly or fix my bird?"

"I'm saying you're a total cowboy pilot!"

"COWBOY PILOT?" Cid was very angry then and I found his facial expressions to be hilarious. "Well you're not even a pilot, girl! Yur an engineer with her head in the clouds!"

"If my head were in the clouds we'd actually be flying!"

"Hey hey!" Tifa yelled as she pulled me away from the cockpit. "Rachas, its Cid's turn to operate this thing, let him do it his way! Cid, Rachas is a pilot too and her opinions do hold water."

After Tifa released me I moved back along the plane and took my normal seat on the tail strut.

"What's a cowboy pilot?" Zack called out.

"A pilot who's learned nothing except how to fly their craft, usually not very well, and could be considered unstable."

The weather had cleared up significantly since yesterday so everyone was spread out on the plane; Aeris I noticed was holding a pebble in her hand and seemed quite focused on it. Reaching out I confirmed that she was making the pebble hover just slightly over her palm.

Yuffie as usual was chumming the water on one side of the Bronco while Kunsel sat nearby and tried to talk to her as a means of distraction. Zack, Cloud, and Barret had apparently found some playing cards and were in the midst of a game that Tifa also looked to be a part of. Vincent was sitting quietly on the opposite tail strut of me, Red seemed to be sun bathing, and Cait Sith was sitting on the leading edge of a wing near the cockpit.

Cid didn't relinquish the controls again that day, not even after we passed the hills where the rivers flowed from and really started to make good time. We reached the coast about three hours before sundown.

The weapon seller didn't live alone as a singular house. He was actually a part of a medium sized village that made its living on fishing. It seemed as though everyone in the town knew where his house was. They pointed in the direction of his house almost the moment that Zack said we were looking for someone who might know something about "odd things".

"Alright, we have an idea where to start," Zack shouted to our group. "This is what we're going to do: Cloud, Rachas, and me are going to meet this guy. Everyone else: we need supplies."

Zack turned then and led the way to the house while everyone else dispersed to go about the task of gathering supplies.

When we reached the house Cloud didn't bother to knock or call out, he simply opened the door and went in. Zack followed immediately and I entered last.

Inside all sorts of weapons lined the walls, boxes were in every corner, and various items that looked like they were from various cultures throughout many ages were all over the place. My attention was drawn to what appeared to be a canopic jar before a voice called out to us.

"More customers! You sure picked an odd time and place... Oh but if you are looking for the Keystone you're too late, don't have it."

"The Keystone's not here anymore?" Zack looked a bit crestfallen in front of the smiling man.

"So you know about it supposedly opening the Temple of the Ancients? That's just a legend though. Now is there anything else I can interest you all in?"

"Who did you sell it to?" Cloud asked.

"The guy I sold it to gave off a feeling it would not be a good idea to not sell it to him"

"Who did you sell it to?"

"The manager of the Gold Saucer... Think his name was Dio. Said he was going to put it in a museum and he took off out of here."

"Gold Saucer…" Cloud loudly groaned as Zack gave a whoop.

"At least we have passes for most of us," I pointed out, happy to not have to spend 30,000 gil on passes. Come to think of it, how much money did we have? I knew I definitely had a lot, but we weren't keeping all of it in a singular pool anymore so we didn't know the exact amount.

"So, two days to get to Gold Saucer from here, then convincing Dio to hand over the Keystone. Good thing everyone should be buying supplies now, huh?"

"It might not be that long," I stated when I noticed a bus station across the street. "We might be able to hitch a ride to Corel or grab a chocobo."

Cloud's eyes followed my line of vision and he smiled. "Good idea, we'll need to see if they have anything that is heading in that direction."

We did a quick check with the transport office and found a bus was actually headed to Corel that night. It was a red-eyes special that would have us in Corel in the morning after driving all night. Zack immediately bought twelve tickets then called everyone else to meet us at the station.

Dinner was bought at a local eatery for everyone while Tifa and Kunsel divvied up our supplies. Everyone got one week of rations and now had two canteens instead of one.

We loaded onto the bus then and were off to Corel, Yuffie insisting that she get the roof. All of us drew looks from the other passengers on the bus but none of them asked any questions.

_**Shinra**_

The newest report from Cait Sith had finally come in and Reeve could honestly say he was surprised. The Keystone being in Gold Saucer seemed almost outrageous.

AVALANCHE would be there by tomorrow though and the soonest anyone from Shinra would get there would be in the afternoon. It looked as though there was going to be no choice but to mobilize Cait Sith and find some way to distract AVALANCHE.

Picking up his phone, he had the Shinra operator connect him to Gold Saucer and from there used his Executive Authority to get directly in touch with Dio.

"This is Dio, founder of Gold Saucer."

"This is Reeve Tuesti, I'm calling on behalf of the Shinra Power and Electric Company."

"Is there any way I can help you Mr. Tuesti? If you're looking for park specials we're having a special promotion tomorrow. All attractions will be free with the purchase of admission, couples encouraged. An excellent way to spend a night."

"I'm actually calling you about a group of people that should be visiting your park tomorrow. They're coming to talk to you about the Keystone for the Temple of the Ancients."

"Word of my collection becoming a museum has already traveled?"

"No, these people are looking for the Temple, as are Shinra. One of our agents will be amongst them to collect the Keystone. We need for you to insure they cannot leave for the night, their accommodations will of course be covered by the company."

"Why should I part with the Keystone? They couldn't possibly think that the temple is real, could they?"

"The company will also pay a sum of 50,000 gil for the Keystone to be given to them, though don't make it too easy. Offer a challenge of some sort."

"Hmm… Alright then. I will admit that it sounded like an excellent artifact but after getting the whole story on it, the Keystone does seem a bit farfetched. Will you be delivering the payment through a representative to insure the deal is made?"

"Yes, the promised payment shall be made."

"Will we also have the pleasure of meeting you? Gold Saucer is an excellent place for bringing a lady friend."

"Thank you, have a nice day." Reeve hung up abruptly then and began to organize the paperwork for the payment to Gold Saucer and wonder who should be sent. Certainly none of the Turks, they would be too easily recognized if one of the members spied them. He didn't trust one of the lower members of the military to complete this task either; they might actually try to engage against AVALANCHE.

_**Normal**_

We arrived outside of Corel in the morning and everyone was happy to get off of the bus. It seemed that with the exceptions of Vincent and Cait Sith, everyone was stiff and needed several minutes to stretch out after the long ride. I could wholeheartedly admit that my neck was beyond stiff and my back gave some very satisfying "crunch" noises as I limbered out. Nearby Zack was doing some squats while everyone else stretched in a more normal manner.

All the other passengers went ahead of us to the tram and we were advised the next one would be there in an hour. Seeing an opportunity to get some replacement clothes, Aeris and Tifa were quick to run into the village, the rest of us following at a more sedate pace.

After a bit of digging around, we found a thrift shop that sold some decent looking clothes and I was quick to pull out a new looking pair of cargos then went sock hunting.

We followed this up with baths at the inn then the lot of us were ready to go. Zack had finally ditched the SOLDIER belt and suspenders though he didn't change his clothes by much. Cloud was also dressed entirely in a black outfit that reminded me of what he wore in Advent Children. Kunsel had long ago ditched the SOLDIER garb so he walked around in a simple pair of jeans and a shirt. Everyone else looked about the same except the clothes were newer, fresher, than what we had arrived in.

Finally loading into the tram to Gold Saucer, everyone, even Yuffie, grinned as the tram pulled away.

"Now this is closer to a great way to travel!" Cid announced once we were truly on our way.

"Since we all have a few minutes, would everyone mind counting out how much gil they have?" I called out.

"Oh yeah, Gold Saucer is pretty expensive, isn't it?" Cid asked as everyone rummaged through their packs and started to count out gil.

"Not for us!" Zack bounced in his seat, what little gil he had already in hand. "We got lifetime passes last time we were here!"

"What? So Doom and Gloom over there and me have to pay while the rest o' you get in free?"

"We had to go to jail last time we was here," Barret replied. "Didn't even commit the crime. I got 23,400 gil!"

"86,000!" Yuffie called out.

"34,675," Tifa called.

"28,087," Aeris said a few minutes later.

"38,465," Red said.

"74,672," Kunsel declared.

"67,879," Cloud offered.

"21,210," Vincent murmured.

"32,327," Cait announced.

"14, 116," Cid finally said.

Looks like I wasn't the only one who had collected monster parts or sold extra equipment this journey.

"Zack, what about you?" Aeris asked.

Zack glanced at her then turned bright red. "2,430."

Everyone stared at him, trying to decide if he was kidding or not. He gave no indication of recanting the sum so I moved on.

"Well, we definitely have more than enough to get two extra people in without worry."

"Rachas, you never said how much you have." Tifa was the one who had spoken and I saw everyone leaning in slightly, spying the stacks of gil I had in front of me.

"Umm… 146,253?" I turned bright red as I admitted the number while everyone else's eye bulged.

Zack on the other hand laughed as he thumped me on the back, causing me to almost face plant into my seat. "That's our pilot/organizer/equipment manager!" I groaned at the revisiting of the title Zack had initially given me when we were the Fair Mercenaries. Several of the other members roared with laughter.

As we roared in to Gold Saucer a while later, once again everyone seemed quite excited though it was muted by our previous experience there.

"So, any idea where we should start looking for this Keystone?" Zack asked as we piled off of the tram.

"Inside the park," I stated, drawing a laugh from several people.

Everyone had their lifetime pass in hand at this point with the exception of Vincent and Cid, and as we approached ticketing I offered to buy them their own passes.

"Why would I need that shit?" Cid demanded as he pulled out 3,000 gil and bought his own regular ticket. "No use to come to a place like this too often."

Vincent had also pulled out his own money and bought a regular ticket as well. "I don't see us coming back here."

As we entered the main square, I glanced at the various tubes, uncertain if I should just lead us straight to Battle Square or pretend to search for a bit.

Cloud made that decision for me. "Alright, let's divide into groups and search. Zack and Aeris take Event Square, Kunsel and Barret- Speed Square, Vincent and Rachas- Ghost Square, Tifa and I will take Battle Square, Cid and Red- Wonder Square, and Yuffie and Cait- Chocobo Square. Call if you find anything."

The group nodded as we all split into our assigned pairs and headed for the tubes. Vincent was a gentleman and stood back for me to jump into the tube first.

We headed for the hotel straight away, me fully intending to make an honest effort at a search to not draw suspicion from what was most likely the most observant of our members. I started by asking the employees about any possible artifacts that the owner may have recently acquired. They didn't seem to know anything about that.

"You aren't what you seem." Vincent's comment caught me by surprise but I refused to turn to meet his eyes.

"Why do you say that?"

"There is something about you that seems wrong; you were not surprised at all about my transformation."

"The Planet told me," I responded automatically.

"On the day we left Wutai you threw a table out a door without touching it. The day we fought Don Corneo a force pushed me to a ledge that I shouldn't have made."

"I'll admit guilt to that. My limit breaks are not limited to battle."

"I don't think those were limit breaks."

I didn't reply, there would be no point to it. I was going to be found out sooner or later, why not by Vincent?

My PHS rang then and I grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Rachas! We found the Keystone but Dio wants Cloud to fight for it. Come over to Battle Square."

"Alright, be right there." I hung up and turned to Vincent.

"Where are we headed?" the dark man asked as he turned to head for the entrance.

"Battle Square. Dio apparently wants Cloud to fight for the Keystone."

Unlike Ghost Square, Battle Square was bustling with activity. Then again, Ghost Square was a hotel and who'd want to spend the day at a hotel when there were so many other things to possibly catch your interest?

Tifa was easy enough to find and Zack, Aeris, Barret, and Kunsel had beaten us there. Zack seemed very put out that Cloud would be the one to fight and not him.

"Oh come on!" he complained. "I know Cloud's good, but why can't we go two at a time? It would be more fun that way!"

Dio had just walked over and stared at Zack. "You two together would make the challenge too easy. That's why we're just doing this as a one-at-a-time deal. So, is everyone here?"

"No, we still have four more coming," Tifa replied just as Cid and Red arrived. "Make that two more."

A minute later Yuffie ran through the crowd and joined us along with Cait Sith. Dio wasted no more time and led us straight to what seemed to be VIP seating which provided an awesome view of the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Battle Arena!" a woman's voice called over a loudspeaker. "Fighting right now in an eight match challenge is Cloud Strife!"

Cheers erupted from all over the arena for Cloud who appeared from one of the gates. Most of AVALANCHE hollered our support as well.

Cloud's first battle was easy enough; he won in practically one hit. The handicap roulette then was spun and landed on Mini and we all turned to see a mist cover the arena. As it cleared most of us breathed a sigh of relief to see Cloud still normal sized while most of the arena broke into boos.

"How?" Cid demanded before I burst out laughing.

"Yuffie, did you ever get your White Cape back from Cloud?"

With the occurrence explained we watched as Cloud once again pulled an easy victory. Then the roulette was spun yet again. This time it stopped on an accessories broken space and Cloud had to remove the White Cape. Yuffie grabbed it immediately and tucked it into her pack.

The following battles were increasingly difficult though Cloud's handicaps didn't get too bad until the last fight. He lost his summoning materia which wasn't bad, got his power knocked down five levels, then lost command materia. After that he lost his armor and in the final round lost his weapon. Everyone groaned as he laid the sword down and took his position.

"He's still got magic, he's still got magic," I repeated even as my own heart pounded loudly in my chest. Beside me, Aeris was fiddling with her braid while biting her lower lip. Everyone was showing some degree of nervousness even as all around us the crowd screamed for blood. Then I noticed that Cait Sith wasn't with us anymore.

Cloud's final battle was a tough one. Without his weapon or armor he had to rely on dodging and unarmed combat, never staying still long enough for his opponent to land a hit. Magic and fists combined forces for those few heart pounding moments and then that final monster fell. The cheers that erupted through the arena were ear-shattering in volume and followed him as Cloud gathered his things and finally left the arena.

"Heh, heh, heh! Well done, young man! All right, as I promised, you can take it." Dio announced in the lobby when we met up with Cloud. He handed over the Keystone then and departed without a backwards glance. Everyone was patting Cloud on the back while Tifa gave him a hard hug.

We all piled out of the Battle Arena then and headed for the tram. Arriving at the station though, Cid and I both immediately noticed that one of the propellers on the vehicle was missing.

"The hell…" Cid murmured as Zack approached a woman who stood before the roped off area that led to the tram loading area.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but the tram is currently out of service."

"And?"

"It means we're stuck here for now, Zack," Aeris informed him gently.

"We should have it up and running by tomorrow," the attendant sounded relieved that there weren't any blow-ups.

Zack heaved out a breath, looking up as he did and grinned. "Hey, if we're stuck here for tonight and our business has already been attended to, how about a date?" Zack quirked an eyebrow at Aeris who laughed.

"Well, since you asked so nicely…"

"Good for you kids, what about the rest of us?" Cid demanded loudly then his eyes took in Tifa and Cloud exchange a look and groaned loudly. "Serves me right for travelin with a bunch of fuckin kids!"

I almost laughed as I took in the scene as well before seeing Yuffie whisper something to Kunsel who blushed slightly before nodding.

Cait Sith chose then to bounce in to our midst and act as though he had never left.

"What's wrong?" the little robotic cat asked.

"Tram's out and now our leader is asked his girl for a date!" Barret growled.

""Too bad, but it happens... I know let's stay at the hotel! They know me here, so I'll go talk to them!"

"I will let you know once the repairs are completed," the attendant informed us.

"I don't think so! Rachas, let's see if we can get this hulk movin!" Cid declared as he took a step towards the tram.

"The propeller is off Cid, we're not going anywhere," I pointed out as I turned and followed Cait back to the Main Square. Peeling away from everyone then, I headed for the tube to Chocobo Square.

"Where ya headin?" Barret called after me.

"To see Jerk Chicken!" I called back as I jumped into the tube.

Chocobo Square was every bit as loud and obnoxious as I thought it would be, lots of flashing lights, lots of people milling about, and a whole lot of bets being made. It wasn't easy to find Ester but the moment I did her eyes lit up in recognition.

"Rachas!" she greeted with a smile. "It's great that you came!"

"Hey Ester! Joe asked you to marry him yet?" I laughed as Ester turned bright red through her makeup.

"Don't tease people like that!" she returned with a swat. "Are you here to see Jerk?"

"Yep, how is she doing?" I asked as we walked out of the back of the main betting floor.

"Very well actually. She and Teioh get along very well. In fact…" We had now entered the stables and I was already walking faster, peering into each of the stalls. I found her in the stall at the end, a stall that was roughly four times bigger than the other stalls.

"Hey Jerk!" I called and she walked over to the door with a happy sounding "Wark!" "How are you do- Is that what I think it is?" I declared the moment I saw a small chocobo head appear.

"If you think it's a baby Chocobo then you would be correct. Joe's been pushing for us to name him Hyperion, but since you own the mother we thought it best to include you."

"Hyperion is fine," I stated as I gazed at the fluffball. He only came up to my waist but his adult feathers were obviously starting to come in. They were a slightly dark yellow so I assumed he'd be a regular yellow chocobo.

"Joe's looking forward to this one being old enough to race; he thinks the two of you will have a champion for certain, much like Teioh."

"He's so cute!" Jerk didn't seem to mind at all when I reached over and gently hugged the baby.

I visited with Ester, Jerk, and Hyperion for almost an hour and left soon after Joe came back and found out I had agreed to his choice of name.

Feeling a bit hungry and since it was almost lunchtime, I decided to stop by Wonder Square before heading to the hotel. Finding an open bakery, I dug around in my pack until I found the GP left over from our previous trip and bought a burger and to my surprise they had soda!

It happened as I was heading back to the tubes, after eating, my drink still in hand. As I passed the Administrative building a man exited the building in a rather hurried fashion. Neither of us was really looking and our collision ended with my drink spilled over his jacket and his briefcase bumping my head.

"Are you alright?" he demanded as I rubbed my head.

"Yeah, just fine. How about you?"

"Nothing a wet rag won't take care of," he replied with a chuckle.

"Are you certain?" I asked as I looked up and almost froze. Having only seen him in passing while watching the others during my incarceration in the Shinra Tower, I almost didn't recognize him, but standing before me was none other than Reeve Tuesti.

Reeve seemed to freeze for a moment also upon seeing my face before continuing on. "I'm quite alright. I just need to get this cleaned off."

"I'm sure they have some towels in there," I nodded towards a nearby restaurant. "Are you stuck here as well?"

For his part, Reeve acted quite well. "I believe everyone is stuck here right now, even the employees."

"So you work here then?" I asked in an attempt to feign ignorance.

Glancing back at the building behind him, Reeve offered a slight shake of his head. "I work for a company that just made a deal with the park. I was just here to insure the closing of the deal."

"Then what do you do?" I asked after asking a hostess for a wet towel.

"I… I manage Urban Development."

"I can see why they'd call for those services here."

"Indeed," he responded as he accepted the towel from the hostess. "What do you do?"

"I'm a pilot," I answered evenly.

He smiled as he wiped at the spill on his jacket. "How did you get into that line of work?"

"I started by studying engineering then took a flight with a friend one day. Found myself hooked and got my licenses, eventually making a career of it. What of Urban Development, how did you enter that particular field?"

We chatted for a few minutes after that and it occurred to me that he was ignoring his jacket.

"Here, let me." Taking the towel I began to dab at the spill, quickly cleaning the area. "Alright, that's done-"

"Rachas! Where have you been?" I found myself promptly pounced upon from behind by Yuffie, pushing me into Reeve's chest. Yuffie backed off then and took in the position she had shoved me into, literally.

"Ooh! Nice one! A little old though."

"Yuffie!" Feeling my face burning, I stepped back from Reeve.

"Anyway, Aeris, Tifa, and me all have dates tonight so it's just going to be you and the guys. Unless…" she made shifty eyes between Reeve and me then.

"I apologize for her; we really should keep her on a leash."

Reeve gave a chuckle though and I noticed his face was a little red as well. "I don't mind, really. And since it seems we're both stuck here tonight would you mind if we got dinner?"

I didn't get a chance to answer because Yuffie jumped in first. "She'd love to! We're staying at the Ghost Hotel."

Reeve's gaze stayed on me though so I answered, "Yes, that sounds great."

"Then should I come by at around 6 this evening?"

Feeling my face burning worse than ever, I nodded before Yuffie grabbed my arm and dragged me away. I barely managed a "See you," before she had me out of the door and was hauling me down the street.

"We were wondering where you were! And I find you here, getting a date for tonight no less!" Yuffie laughed as she dragged me further. "Tifa found a shop so we're all getting dresses for tonight!"

"No dress!" I shouted before she dragged me into the store.

Aeris and Tifa were thrilled to hear I had a date and attempted to force me into buying a dress to wear. I agreed to a new outfit but drew the line at the notion of a skirt.

At five in the evening everyone took a shower and changed, taking advantage of the actual plumbing we had available in the hotel.

At five minutes to six I found myself nervously pacing upstairs, dressed in slacks and a light blue shirt. I had had time to think and was wondering just what Reeve had in mind, just why was he in Gold Saucer? If this was some sort of hoax…

Finally it was time and I left my room and descended the stairs, and there he was. Gone was the suit and instead her wore a pair of jeans and a dark blue button up shirt.

"I never got to introduce myself earlier," he said as he guided me out the door. "My name is Reeve."

"I'm Rachas."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you." Distantly I felt my face burning again.

Dinner was at a restaurant in Wonder Square that apparently accepted gil. We talked through most of the meal, changing between how we started in engineering, various interests, and our current goals. Not once did I mention AVALANCHE nor did he mention Shinra in any capacity.

After the meal we made our way to Event Square where a production was supposed to be happening. Upon seeing who was on stage, I almost keeled over laughing. Fate had decided to spare both Zack and Cloud from the stage; instead Yuffie and Kunsel were the ones chosen. And Yuffie apparently refused to be the Princess. The actors did their best to accommodate her and I heard Reeve snicker more than once, especially when the king said that the "Princess" had been kidnapped by the dragon. It got really interesting when instead of kissing Kunsel, Yuffie tackled the dragon. We both decided it was time to go right as Kunsel tackled Yuffie.

After the play we ended up at Round Square where we boarded the gondola. Having not gone on it previously I was interested to see what this was like in real life. The ride started by first climbing up to the next level since the Gondola was apparently on the second to bottom tier of Gold Saucer. Seeing the roller coaster from the air at night was amazing, the track lights gleamed almost as though they were beads of gold. The gondola track took us through a portion of the level before starting to climb to the next level.

"Thank you for joining me this evening," Reeve suddenly said.

"I'm having a great time." Though I still didn't know why he was here. Reaching out to the power, I decided to cheat a little bit and see what his intentions were.

"I'm glad to hear you are."

Detecting no lies or malevolent intent, I decided to push a little more. "Why did you ask me out this afternoon?"

I felt Reeve's trepidation through the power then before he met my eyes. "You seemed like a very interesting individual, very kind."

Still no lies to be detected or mal-intent.

We were at the next level now and both of us turned to see the next sight. A chocobo race was happening and I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw Joe and Teioh racing. They seemed to pass so close to the cart that it seemed I could reach out and touch them. The cart began to climb again.

"I actually wasn't supposed to be here tonight," Reeve continued as we climbed higher. "But for some reason I just felt the need to see this deal through myself."

"Listening to your intuition can sometimes be one of the smartest things you can do even if it leads you to make choices that would seem dumb."

Reeve was smiling once again. "I'm glad I did."

The gondola seemed high above Battle Square now if the gold statue was anything to go by and fireworks were being set off below the cart. Standing, I leaned out to get a better look and found Reeve doing the same. Below us, the Gold Saucer in its entirety was lit up and the inside of the cart glowed brightly.

Something warm brushed my hand then and a glance showed me Reeve had placed his hand over mine.

Several minutes later as we exited the cart, we were still holding hands, fingers intertwined. We walked back to the Ghost Hotel then.

"This is my number," I scribbled down the PHS number onto a scrap of paper I got at the front desk.

"This is mine." He also wrote down a number and we exchanged them. "And thank you for a wonderful evening." Leaning down slightly, he pecked me on the cheek.

I must have been a funny sight because as I walked up the stairs after Reeve's departure, Barret, who had apparently come out looking for someone, had started laughing about how red I was.

"Got no time for that now," Vincent stated as he pushed past Barret on the landing. "Cait Sith was a spy, Cloud and Tifa just saw him give the Keystone to Shinra."

Almost ten minutes later the entire group was in the lobby, many angry stares being given to Cait Sith.

Barret wasn't the one to be silent, instead he bellowed, "We had a spy the entire time!"

"He has been working for Shinra, giving away our position as well as giving them the Keystone." Cloud looked beyond pissed.

"What are we going to do with him?" Kunsel demanded, looking equally angry.

"Nothing," Cloud declared as he pulled out a folder which he passed to Barret. "They know where Marlene, Wedge, Jessie, and Mrs. Gainsborough are."

Aeris gasped at the notion of her mother being in danger while Zack was looking ready to explode as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Seeing an opportunity to finally get a straight answer, I turned to Cait Sith. "You've seen all that we've seen; you know what Shinra is doing to the Planet. Why did you do this?"

"He's a robot. This little shit'll do exactly what they tell him," Cid growled.

Cait on the other hand turned apologetic eyes to me. "Remember when I asked you if you thought Shan would be mad at Revan if he saved her instead of taking the map piece lass?" I nodded as the rest of AVALANCHE stared.

"What's a story gutta do with this spy?" Barret demanded.

"Complete a mission or save a friend," Kunsel suddenly declared.

"Did Shinra threaten us if you didn't give them the Keystone?" Zack demanded, understanding showing on his face.

"They couldn't enter the temple and were planning to kidnap Rachas or Aeris to see if they could open the temple so my operator told them about the Keystone. After that they planned to attack you directly if they couldn't reach the Keystone first in order to obtain it."

Understanding shone on almost everyone's face then and some of the anger dissipated.

"Tell your operator to trust us more," Zack ordered before his face softened. "And thanks for trying to protect friends."

"The hell should we believe him?" Cid yelled, his anger still palpable. Beside him Barret nodded, the folder clutched tightly to his chest.

Cloud didn't bother to answer Cid's question as he stepped away from Cait Sith. "The report I got from the attendant still stands: the tram won't be ready for departure until tomorrow morning. We've made arrangements for a bus to take us back to the town where we left the Tiny Bronco. From there we'll need to make our way to the Temple of Ancients. Cait Sith claims to know the way and is willing to take us there."

Zack nodded. "Right, so we'll be leaving in the morning."


	31. Chapter 31

Saria: Glad to know from what little feedback I receive that the pairing of Rachas and Reeve was so well received!

Tori: As for those who wondered, Reeve is between 30-35 years old so a relationship between him and Rachas wouldn't be unquestionable. Yuffie is 16 so naturally he seems very old.

Zas: Also, congrats to Minshe, the only reviewer who guessed who we intended to pair Rachas with!

SA: Finally (pulls out a bazooka) keep reviewing if you value your souls! BWA HA H-(klunk)

Saria: Sorry about that, she's a bit unstable!

zzzzzzzzzz

Everyone was still in a foul mood the next morning but at least they didn't seem to completely blame Cait Sith anymore. They were less than thrilled about what had happened but almost everyone seemed to understand. The main exceptions were Cid and Yuffie. Apparently Barret had come to the conclusion at some point in the night that his daughter was included in the threat against us.

As we walked to the tram the next morning after determining that Cait wasn't being controlled directly by Reeve, I found myself keeping a sharp eye out. It may be a bit stupid, but I found myself wanting to see him once more.

Aeris noticed my eyes darting around. "What are you looking for?"

"…Reeve," I answered after a moment. Ahead of us Cait's ear twitched.

"Was that his name?" Tifa had sidled up next to us.

"Yes."

"What was he like?"

I laughed then, a slight blush rising in my cheeks. "He was very nice actually. Very intelligent."

"Seems right up your alley," Yuffie stated as she joined us as we climbed into the tram. "Now you know another boring science-type person to talk to rather than try to teach me that boring physics!"

"Physics isn't boring!" I argued as we took our seats. "It is a science that explains a lot about the movement and direction of our universe!"

"Reaching a bit far right now," Red stated as he hopped onto a nearby seat.

The tram finally pulled away from Gold Saucer and everyone situated themselves for the hour it would take us to reach Corel. There were several conversations and after a while Cid started a game of Blackjack.

We loaded onto the bus in Corel and began the long drive to the fishing town. During that time I was able to draw Aeris away for several minutes and began to talk to her the basics of weaving nets from the Lifestream to make yourself unnoticeable and the basics of the Jedi Mind Trick.

Aeris was amazed by these abilities and asked how many times I had used them as well as if they were difficult. My response was the nets were never difficult for me but the Mind Trick took a bit of practice. I still remembered the first few times I had done it and how I had so much trouble controlling it as well as the mental screams of my victims.

"Just remember, these particular abilities are ones you have to be very careful with. Don't try to use the nets if you already have someone's attention and don't try to perform the mind trick unless you absolutely have to."

"Why is that? You could have forced Shinra to stop Mako production all by yourself!"

"Minerva doesn't want us abusing these abilities. She has made it clear she will remove them if we do."

"Minerva? As in the Goddess?" Aeris looked shocked at that moment as I nodded.

"Now, let's start with the nets." We spent over an hour discussing the use of and how to make these nets. We were done I wove one around us, not aimed at anyone in particular.

A stirring drew my attention to Vincent who I noticed was staring in our direction rather intently. It seemed as though his demons were warning us to not try anything against them.

Aeris tried her hand at weaving the nets then, we weren't really able to judge the results though. Since I was already focused on her and aware, the nets didn't work too well on me. That I was maintaining my own net so no one else would notice made it even more difficult to know if she was achieving it.

The bus rolled into the town at seven that night and everyone dragged off the bus and headed towards the plane. Cid had slept for most of the ride on the bus and declared he was good to go and since we were in a bit of a time crunch no one objected except Yuffie.

We clambered onto the plane and the first instruction that Cait Sith gave was that we needed to get to the islands that were just south of the mainland of the Eastern Continent. Cloud's map indicated the best route to get there was to stick to the shallow water surrounding a chain of islands that extended between the continents. Being one of the two who actually knew what they were doing with the Bronco, I had to turn in automatically as soon as the sun was set to get enough sleep to be awake for the next day.

Several hours later Cid roused me and I took the controls, getting the plane the rest of the way to the island of the Temple just before sunrise.

As we walked through the jungle that surrounded the temple the voices of the Planet seemed to rise around us though only Aeris and I heard. We both felt the power of this place, of the sheer will being exercised by those souls that resided here, but unlike the Gi Caves the Lifestream wasn't stagnant. I felt it flowing fresh all around us.

When we finally came to the Temple of the Ancients, it looked like a typical temple or pyramid that had long been abandoned. The difference was in how it felt. It was like walking into a garden that was sentient and everything was trying to get your attention. Voices were all over the place, some of the Planet, others were ancient Cetra that chose to stay in their temple through the passing of the ages.

Aeris was the one who voiced what it was. "This is the Temple of the Ancients. I know... I feel it... The knowledge of the ancients... Floating. You could become one with the Planet, but you're stopping it with the strength of your will. For the future? For us?"

Her words made sense to me, but I also was hearing and feeling all that she was. The others weren't so lucky.

"Aeris, what's going on?" Zack asked gently as she took a step forward, a spellbound expression on her face.

"She's hearing the temple and all that resides inside," I informed Zack.

"You're uneasy... But happy? Because we're here? I don't understand... I want to go inside!" Aeris had rushed ahead of us slightly but now she turned back, a determined look in her eyes.

"That's why we're here." I took a step forward myself but Tifa's hand stopped me.

"She's mumbling! Maybe you shouldn't get any closer."

"You don't hear this place as we do," I informed her. "This temple was only meant for Cetra to fully understand so you are likely to see some things you won't understand."

Red supported me in this. "The Ancients were a powerful race, more so than mine. All I hear are mumbles, but I can still feel a presence here."

"We should go; we're already behind Shinra and Sephiroth." We raced up the stairs then and at the top discovered a cloaked figure much liked the ones in Nibelheim. Everyone was cautious while approaching, and then the person lurched and began to murmur.

"Black... Materia..." it gurgled, a small amount of blood slowly seeping around him onto the ground.

Aeris knelt down beside the person and gently pulled away the cloth that covered his arm. "Look."

Tattooed clearly into the flesh of the arm was a nine.

"Another one of these... people. Why are they here?" Tifa wondered.

Kunsel stood immediately. "He mentioned a Black materia. Whatever that is, I'll bet it's their goal."

"Last time we saw these guys Sephiroth was near. Could he be after this Black materia?" Cloud was the one who asked.

Zack surprised me then by turning to me. "Do you know anything about Black materia?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because unlike Aeris, you seem well versed in Cetra lore." Kunsel had stood and was staring at me intently.

Groaning, I nodded. "Yes, I know about Black materia."

"Well, what is it?"

"Really bad news. What the Calamity tried to use 2000 years ago to destroy the planet."

Zack's eyes went wide and he charged into the temple, everyone following him shortly.

"So, what was that man out there?" Yuffie demanded. "Was he Shinra?"

"I never saw him in the labs," Red responded.

"Most likely a test subject," Zack snarled. "Hojo had a number of people that he used like that."

Vincent also decided to throw in his two cents then. "Usually they would use people from towns that were destroyed. There'd be no one to come looking for them so they were easily overlooked."

Everyone looked sickened by that revelation and Tifa looked ready to turn back to the person we had left behind.

Zack passed through the door moments later and found who I knew would be there. "Guys, in here!"

"Tseng of the Turks," Kunsel stared at the man.

Tseng for his part didn't look all that great. He was slumped against a podium and barely managed to open his eyes to stare at us before trying to rise, his left hand squeezing his right arm. His strength failed him though before he could attempt to stand.

"Uh... I've been had." He stared at us then and tried to once again to rise but fell back again. How much blood had he lost? "It's not the Promised Land... Sephiroth is searching for."

"Sephiroth? He's inside?" Cloud and Zack both glanced around the room despite it being quite obvious the man wasn't in this room.

"See for yourself" Tseng stated. "Damn. Letting Aeris go was the start... of my bad luck." His breathing was a bit labored now. "The president was wrong."

"Letting her go?" I demanded, suddenly angry at his words. "We broke out with her."

"You were wrong anyway! The Promised Land isn't like you imagined. And I would never have helped. Shinra would never win." Aeris allowed Zack to pull her in for a hug then.

Tseng started laughing lightly at Aeris's words. "Pretty harsh. Sounds like... something you'd say." He finally seemed to find the strength to gain his feet and reached into his suit. The group we were all on guard until he pulled out the Keystone and was surprisingly able to throw it.

"The Keystone... Place it... On the altar..." Tseng managed to say before hobbling to one side of the room.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Kunsel demanded.

"No one knows... You're here... But me."

Surprised, I glanced at Cait at Tseng's words. Was Reeve no longer issuing regular reports?

"Are you ok?" Zack asked an obviously distraught Aeris.

"Tseng's with our enemy, the Turks. But I've known him since we were little. There are not a lot of people I can say that about. In fact, there are only a handful of people in the world who really know me." Aeris looked so sad then, so confused. Aside from those of us gathered here, how many people did actually know her? Know her heritage?

Tseng was going to live anyway; I may as well insure several things.

Walking over to the wounded man, I brought my Restore materia up and cast a low powered cure spell, just enough to close the wound.

"The hell're you doing?" Barret yelled from behind me.

"If he reports that we're after Sephiroth and he isn't after the Promised Land, then we might not have to worry about Shinra's interference again." I also pulled out a potion and as I leaned forward to place it in his hand I whispered my words. "Don't you dare to disturb Aeris's life ever again. She has made her opinions clear and neither you nor your company have any right to try to force her into anything."

Tseng almost seemed to laugh at my words. "Surprising you don't include yourself since you are of the same blood."

"May heaven save those who attempt to forcibly take me," I replied before standing and walking to the podium with everyone else. "You'll want to get out of here. Make sure you let your company know Sephiroth isn't after the Promised Land."

Cloud placed the stone then and we watched as the raised tablets first chamber seemed to fill with light then spread down a vine-like structure, filling several more small chambers as it went before spilling down the side.

Around us the lighting in the room seemed to blink, growing brighter then dimmer for several times before with several yelps, we all seemed to sink into the ground. The sensation was strange, like we were turning left and right then flipping over. Finally it ended and we all appeared inside the temple. Yuffie looked a bit green but otherwise everyone seemed ok.

All around us voices rose, calling out, wanting us to listen to them and what they had to say. To a significantly lesser extent it was almost exactly like when I felt the existence of all those people in Sector 7 and Gold Saucer.

"Words… Feelings… So many of them…" Aeris murmured.

"More than just that," I responded, the temple was filled with everything, including memories, we could practically taste them.

"There aren't any exits," Vincent stated.

Cid glanced around. "Shit, the hell is with this place?"

"Then we'll just have to keep going," Cait Sith said as he walked over to me. I glanced down and smiled slightly at Cait.

"I know it's going to be tough but... Don't give up! We can do it!" Aeris was doing her best to get everyone ready for the temple.

Red was the one who saw the guardian first. "There's someone here!" he announced and gave chase, the rest of us following quickly. The chase was a strange one, several times I felt like we were running sideways even though gravity seemed to be in effect. Blocked off areas were easily recognized but getting around them was sometimes difficult, especially when it seemed the guardian was right on the other side of them.

When we finally caught up to the little figure, he was sitting in the middle of a very old room, one that felt it was important to this one while alive.

"Who are you?" Cloud asked the guardian, doing his best to not appear threatening despite the large sword he carried.

There was no verbal response from the being; instead a feeling seeped from him, almost like he was sorry yet glad to see us.

"Did anyone understand that?" Zack asked.

Aeris stepped up straight away. "It's good we caught up to you. Sorry we made you wait."

Again no words came, just the feeling of gladness to see us but underneath it I felt a fear, a deep fear of something that could jeopardize his being and purpose.

"Guys, this seems to be a spirit, a guardian of the temple. He's lost the ability to speak but views words as unnecessary so long as the objective of the temple is met," I translated for everyone.

"You can understand that thing?" Barret demanded, sounding astonished.

"Please speak to us!" Aeris implored the spirit.

The spirit offered no words, only his fear that an evil had entered the temple.

"No good… You're afraid? Is it Sephiroth or something else?"

"What's going on?" Yuffie asked.

"The spirit is afraid of something but can't describe it any better than as an "other". All we're feeling is fear of this being from him."

Cloud shook his head. "It has to be Sephiroth, he's got to be here somewhere."

"He can't help us beyond this," Aeris finally concluded as she stood and walked to one side of the room, pulling out a silver shotgun. Vincent accepted the gun with a nod to the spirit.

Exiting the room we found ourselves back in the maze-like room. It took a little time but we eventually found our way through and found ourselves standing on a narrow walkway over a seemingly bottomless drop with the strange arch-like boulders that rumbled by.

"The hell are we getting by that?" Cid demanded.

Kunsel studied the walkway and the boulders for a minute before stating plainly, "We'll need to duck under the arches of the rocks, being careful to time it just right."

"There'll also be people back here to help by yelling instructions if they need to jump back or forward," I added.

"Want us to run and duck under boulders?" Barret stared at the walkway. "Some of us ain't that small, we'd be crushed fer sure!"

"Not entirely," Cait Sith stated as he stared at the boulders himself and I heard the odd twang that meant Reeve was in control. "Those grooves look like they should accommodate one of the bigger people at a time as well as a smaller one."

"So I gotta run a boulder gauntlet with a spy or a thief?" Barret didn't look happy in the least.

"No, Cait Sith and his mog translate to a big form in my book," I informed him. "If you'll run with Yuffie, I'll save everyone an argument and run with Cait."

"Me and Cloud'll go first!" Zack announced, dragging Cloud to the front of the queue. Pairs were decided quickly from there and an order established. Second would be Cid paired with Tifa, third would be Cait Sith and me followed by Red with Aeris, then Barret and Yuffie, and last would be Vincent and Kunsel.

We all watched as Zack and Cloud waited for the optimal boulder that they could make the arch for. When a boulder came that they seemed to agree on came, they both charged forward and darted under the boulder right as the arch came down. When said boulder had passed they ran again and ducked under the next boulder. This happened several more times until they were halfway down then they gave a shout to let us know the next pair could start.

Cid and Tifa didn't seem to have any problem with the boulders and then the shout came. We waited almost a minute before I saw one I was certain we could both make.

"Go!" We both shouted simultaneously and dashed onto the walkway, ducking under the first boulder. The noise was terrible; I could hear sand being crushed from the weight of the boulder even as the boulder seemed to groan under its own weight. Then we were clear and running towards the next boulder, ducking yet again in the arch-like area. Twice more we faced this and then we were at the middle point and both of us ran into the area with much relief.

"Next up!" Zack yelled as we walked further into the pool area. Three minutes later Kunsel and Vincent were finally on their own run and we all watched as they raced down the walkway.

"That was exciting," Kunsel admitted as he and Vincent joined us by the pool.

A "plip" from the pool caught everyone's attention then and we all turned to face the pool. The air seemed to become quite thick then and I was certain that somewhere in this I could feel a heartbeat.

"It's full of the knowledge of the Ancients... No... A conscience... A living soul. It's trying to say something... I don't understand!" Aeris got closer to the pool. "What is it? ...Danger? ...An evil conscience... You're going to show me?"

As she was speaking to the spirit pool, I felt the pool's response, its fear. It wanted us to understand, to warn us where the previous guardian couldn't. A light then seemed to illuminate the room and quickly grew too bright for anyone to keep their eyes open.

After a moment I opened my eyes again and found the mosaic room before us.

"Wow…" I heard Yuffie murmur as we spread out a bit.

Kunsel was the one to spot them first. "Look! The Turks!" he called and everyone was instantly on guard.

"Tseng what is this? Can we find the Promised Land with this?" Elena was pointing at the glyphs that were painted across the walls. I couldn't see the glyphs clearly but a sense of familiarity washed over me. It was like the meaning of the individual glyphs was right at the edge of my mind rather me just knowing the entire message.

"I wonder, anyway we have to report to the President." Elena nodded and headed for the exit but stopped just short of the door.

"Be careful Tseng."

"Yeah... Hey Elena. How about dinner after this job is over?" His question seemed to throw Elena for a loop.

"Th-thank you very much. If I may be excused," she almost seemed to run from the room then, a blush painting her cheeks. Tseng gave a low chuckle at her response before turning his attention back to the murals.

"Is this the Promised Land? No, it can't be..." he murmured.

The air suddenly went cold then and behind Tseng the silver general began to phase into reality. There was some shuffling and glancing around I saw several of our group had brought their weapons to a ready position. Tseng finally noticed the man right when he seemed to solidify.

Sephiroth!" He didn't reach for his gun which probably saved his life. Sephiroth smirked at him.

"So you opened the door. Well done." Tseng pointed at the pictures.

"This place... What is it?" Sephiroth took a few steps closer. Tseng took a few back until then stood his ground.

"A lost treasure throve of knowledge. The wisdom of the Ancients." He turned and lifted his arms in a grand gesture. "I am becoming one with the Planet."

"One with the Planet?" Tseng questioned and Sephiroth turned. An astral projection of him split off and walked in our direction. Tseng didn't react.

"You stupid fools never even thought about it. All the spirit energy of the Planet, all its wisdom... Its knowledge… I will meld with it. I will become it, and it will become me." Tseng was off-balanced by the proclamation.

"You can do that?" Both of Sephiroth's arms fell down to his side. The smirk now replaced by his usual stone cold expression.

"The way... lies here." In a flash of speed Sephiroth cut down Tseng. "Only death awaits you. But do not fear. For it is through death a new spirit is born, and you will become a part of me." He laughed over the body of the downed Turk and the image quickly began to fade.

"Did you see it?" Aeris asked as soon as our eyes cleared.

"Was that an illusion created by the Ancients?" Kunsel asked.

I shook my head. "No, that had to be what happened. A warning, what the guardians here fear!"

"We gotta keep going!" Zack declared and turned back to the walkway.

"Am I the only one about ready to freak out?" Yuffie demanded as we lined up again.

"No kid. This fuckin temple has most o' us on edge." It seemed odd to see Cid being reassuring to Yuffie.

Zack and Cloud started the charge again then, stepping out and ducking under the first boulder. They made it to the end of the walkway without incident then Cid and Tifa ran. Cait Sith and I ran next once again and it was still an unsettling experience, still loud and made my heart pound.

The boulders stopped as Vincent and Kunsel finally reached the end of the track.

"Typical!" Barret screamed at the walkway. "Runs out after we finish!"

The feeling of laughter washed over me then as I turned to see another of the temple guardians. He sounded reassuring.

"We weren't in any danger," Aeris called out.

If possible, that just seemed to annoy everyone further. Yuffie stomped her foot and huffed while Cid unleashed a blue streak, the likes of which caused me to reach out and cover Yuffie's ears while Zack glared at the man. Barret's own repertoire of profanity didn't hold a candle to Cid's, that was for certain.

We walked down the stair then and down another hallway. Before stopping short at a ledge that went straight into an open-air chamber. Ahead of us was the infamous clock.

"I am the Time Guardian. Ye who seek the knowledge of the Ancients. I control time, select your path."

I had never learned the various paths on this level, I only knew that the six o'clock position took us straight to the next area and before we went down that path I wanted to collect the Ribbon and get Aeris's Princess Guard. Reaching out for the power, I felt the various paths and decided on the two paths that felt the brightest.

"…to keep out intruders." Glancing around I saw that I had completely missed what had been said by the group.

"We move the hands of the clock to proceed down the various paths," I stated.

Kunsel blinked at me. "We figured as such, but which paths are the right ones?"

"I'm getting a good feeling from that one and that one," was my response, pointing at the IV and V doors.

"So… 10:25?" Kunsel called out and the clock began to move.

Stopping on the right indicated time the voice called out, "It is time... You may proceed."

Glancing amongst ourselves we shuffled around and I volunteered to go first. The clock hands were not a wide path, only about as wide as my body, but I moved quickly out to the middle platform, Red right behind me. Taking into account the position of the second hand, I waited a moment for it to pass then raced to the door.

Everyone managed to make it across without trouble though Yuffie had a close shave with the second hand. It swept across the hour hand just as she was about halfway to the platform and she ended up leaping to the center.

Moving back into the room, the chest was quickly found and there was a fair amount of excitement at the Ribbon we found inside.

"So, who gets it?" Yuffie asked, edging towards the equipment.

"Rachas chose the path," Cait Sith declared.

"I'm also one of the ones who work support," I pointed out then glanced at each member of the party. "I think Tifa should have it since she does mostly hand-to-hand."

Yuffie groaned but most of the group agreed and Tifa smiled brightly when the Ribbon was given to her.

"4:25!" Aeris called out automatically when we reached the clock chamber again.

This time the hands were close enough together that most of us just jumped from one of the hands to the other rather than going all the way to the center. This hall had several voices whispering and I automatically knew that we were about to find Aeris's weapon.

The chest was on an altar of sorts and Aeris was the one to approach it while the rest of us stood back.

"They're telling me this will help us on our journey," she murmured as she opened the chest and pulled out a golden staff that was topped with a butterfly and a ruby. "Princess Guard, a holy weapon of the Cetra. And there's something else…" Reaching into the chest again, she tried to grab whatever it was that she saw. "I can't move it!"

A call caused me to walk forward and climb the altar to stand next to her on the altar. Gazing into the chest I saw what looked to be a very old scroll. Reaching in, I grabbed the roll and easily lifted it.

A strange assortment of memories appeared in my head then, of glowing blades and fighting stances, katas that were beyond the level of the ones currently in my head for Jedi forms. Turning the unrolling to the first lines, I felt my breath freeze. These weren't lightsabers, these were called spirit blades, the weapon of a Gaia Jedi!

"What is it?" Aeris asked as she looked over my shoulder.

"A manual," I replied.

I tucked the scroll into my pack then and we rejoined the group. No one else asked what I had gotten from the chest.

We went back to the clock room again and this time Yuffie bounced up. "My turn! Umm… 6:30!"

We all groaned as the clock hands moved to the time.

"Yuffie, you have to make sure to include the number of the room we're in!" Kunsel lectured though you could still hear fondness in his voice. "4:35."

"Alright, the treasure we find in here is mine!" Yuffie exclaimed as she raced across the expanse.

In the chest of this hall Yuffie found a Trumpet Shell. We continued on for a few more rooms, finding a megalixir and several monsters before Yuffie called out a time that took us to the right chamber.

This time we followed a long tunnel and when we exited, Vincent was the one to spot the guardian that hopped away from us quickly.

"My treasure!" Yuffie yelled, running to the door and attempting to open it. "He's got the key!"

"I think we should all take a moment to rest now," Aeris called out.

Turning back, you could see she was very tired looking. Zack agreed and everyone sat down quietly, giving her a few minutes to recover. Yuffie looked ready to argue but relented.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked as she sat down, nodding in Aeris's direction.

"It's this place," Red replied. "She is feeling the pressure of everything in here speaking to her."

"Why isn't Rachas having the same problem?" Yuffie had just voiced my own question but I gave it some thought.

"Because I've been hearing the Planet much longer. Aeris could only hear it in the church until recently; she can't filter it like I can." The realization sickened me a bit. I was hearing quite a bit in here but I was used to it by now. Only four or five days ago she had told me she was starting to hear murmurs that were slowly getting clearer!

We rested for almost an hour before we moved on to chase down that guardian. It seemed almost like a scene from a comedy if one were to ask me. We stayed together for a few minutes until we realized that the guardian knew the tunnels too well then separated. Tifa found a glove in this area earning a yell of "No fair!" from Yuffie, and then we finally were able to trap the guardian at an intersection.

It took a few more minutes to find our way back up to the door but when we did Yuffie immediately grabbed the key, unlocked the doors, then threw them open.

"We're investing into a leash for her." My statement earned several laughs as we followed her into the room.

"It's the Mural room!" Aeris exclaimed after we passed the threshold.

"Where are you Sephiroth?" Cloud and Zack demanded and I felt a decidedly creepy feeling crawl over my spine.

He appeared as a ghostly image, or maybe an afterimage, and seemed to float in the air, Masamune held high.

"So cold." Cat-like eyes of green locked on Cloud then. "I'm always at your side. Come." The order was followed by all of us, and we ran down the hall and found him staring at a wall.

"Splendid." My eyes caught on the drawn Masamune and I found myself studying it, trying to find any of the blood that should stain that terrible sword. Then the former general turned toward us and strolled unhurriedly over. As he did, the voices of the temple suddenly went silent and once again I thought I heard a distant scream.

"A treasure house of knowledge…" Sephiroth's voice cut my focus before I could determine where the cry was coming from.

"I don't understand," Cloud took a step forward but Zack's hand stopped him. Sephiroth merely laughed in a condescending fashion before he seemed to teleport.

Once again the twelve of us rushed down the hall to find Sephiroth again staring at one of the walls.

"Look well," his voice seemed to hiss and I found my eyes drawn to the mural and recognized it immediately. Meteor!

"What?" Zack was the one to demand.

"At that which adds to the knowledge of…" Sephiroth's expression towards Zack indicated that whatever camaraderie he may have once felt was long forgotten. "I am becoming one with the Planet!" The grandiose gesture he made was full of confidence and then he was laughing again before teleporting yet again.

One more rush down the corridor and we were before the altar where Sephiroth seemed to be lounging.

"…Mother…. It's almost time." These words were whispered and once again I heard the distant scream. "Soon… We will become one."

"How do you intend to become one with the Planet?" Aeris demanded as we drew closer, her voice holding fire. Sephiroth turned to face her and I found myself automatically stationing myself before her.

"It's simple." Sephiroth seemed more amused than anything, like he wanted to boast. "Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury." He seemed to laugh again, sweeping Masamune around before stabbing the tip into the ground. "What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? How much energy would be gathered?" The sword was now withdrawn. "Ha ha ha. And at the center of that injury will be me. All that boundless energy will be mine."

Aeris looked quite sick at this point as did most of the group. Vincent was unreadable though his eyes were definitely narrowed at Sephiroth.

"By merging with all the energy of the Planet, I will become a new life form, a new existence!"

I had officially heard enough. This guy was seriously longwinded!

"If you think we would ever allow for you to do this then you do need a new existence, one that'll allow you a brain!"

Sephiroth's gaze was now on me, and as I met his gaze I witnessed something horrible, so cold…

"I will become God and rule over every soul!"

The scream, I had to locate it! Pulling the surrounding power to me, I listened for the echo of the scream, terrified that I was right. Sephiroth had now turned to the mural but I was so intent upon the cry that I now could almost touch that I didn't hear his words. Finally I found the source!

"Cloud!" Zack's voice snapped me out of my trance and turning I saw Cloud laughing in front of one of the murals, Sephiroth long gone. Surrounding him were the same afterimages that seemed to have surrounded Sephiroth.

Grabbing Tifa, I pulled her over to Cloud. "Cloud, get a hold of yourself! You're hysterical!" Cloud didn't respond for a second so I slapped him. "Cloud, Tifa is here and she needs you to hold it together!"

"Black materia… Call Meteor…" he forced out between laughs.

"Cloud! Please!" Tifa shouted.

Cloud's hands shot up and grabbed his head. "Cloud… I'm Cloud."

"Yeah, you're Cloud," Zack now was beside us as well. "We can all tell you that."

Cloud's expressions were all over the place, like he was experiencing a lifetime of memories in just a few moments. He jerked one way then smoothly leaned another. It was painful to watch.

"I remember… I remember my way," he finally stated then his eyes cleared. "Mm? What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

"N-nothing. Nothing's wrong." Tifa stated.

"That was not nothing," Kunsel interjected then turned to Zack. "An effect of the labs?"

"Maybe…" Zack replied. "I was labeled a failure but so was Cloud."

"Then this might just be from the stress of seeing Sephiroth again." Tifa sounded adamant.

"I understood what he was saying." Cloud then pointed at the mural he had been laughing in front of. "This is Meteor, right?"

All eyes turned onto the mural then.

"The hell is it? Falling from the sky?"

"What do you think a Meteor is?" I asked. Cid shrugged, not even bothering to look away from the painting. "You wanted to go into space and don't even know what a basic meteor is?" I was beyond shocked.

"This don't even look like an omen," Barret stated.

"It's history!" I lectured. "Telling of a time previously that the Planet was in danger due to Black materia. That meteor is the threat!"

"Black materia is the magic Sephiroth was talking about." Aeris now stepped closer to the mural. "The Ultimate Destructive Magic, Meteor. It finds small drifting planets with its magic and collides with them. The planet could be wiped out!"

The lights of the room seemed to dim then and the room shook slightly.

"Sephiroth?" Cloud demanded at the air and I wondered if he blamed the man for everything that went wrong or he couldn't immediately explain.

"Ha ha ha… It's not me," a disembodied voice stated.

A cry through the power caused me to grab Cait Sith and throw us both against the wall right as a stream of flames erupted through the hall. All around the hall everyone either threw themselves down to the ground or a wall to avoid the fire.

The giant red dragon had appeared at the end of the hall and it let loss a roar as it cut off the fire barrage.

"Don't group together!" Kunsel yelled as he and Zack rushed forward, swords drawn.

Cloud was nearby with Tifa so I assumed they were going to be the second wave attack force.

Checking my materia I started by casting Haste on the entire party. Beside me, Cait Sith unleashed a scream through his megaphone as Cloud and Tifa took off after Zack and Kunsel.

The roar of a machine gun filled the hall then and wild bullets ricocheted off the back wall. Zack and Kunsel stayed low to avoid the bullets and each swung at the front legs of the dragon.

Though the thing didn't appear to have any sort of armor, its hide had to be very tough because neither sword caused very much damage. The dragon's retaliation was the breathe fire at both men, cutting off Cloud and Tifa's advancement at the same time.

Vincent fired his first shot then as Cid dug through his bag and yanked out a stick of dynamite. Lighting it on a cigarette that had bought from the fishing town, he waited several seconds before hurling it at the dragon.

If Vincent's shot had annoyed the dragon then Cid's dynamite pissed it off. A gash appeared on the head of the dragon, causing it to roar again and unleash yet another flaming attack down the expanse of the hall. This time I couldn't get out of the way fast enough.

"Gah!" I barely managed to bite back my scream as my arm got badly burned.

"Rachas!" Cait Sith was next to me a moment later and staring at my arm as I focused on the Restore materia I had equipped. The spell took away most of the pain and the redness seemed to dissipate instantly.

"It's ok, keep attacking!" I reassured the robotic cat as I stood and focused on my lightning materia.

The attack gave the dragon a slight scorch on its side but it didn't even slightly slow down.

"Distract it!" Tifa yelled and suddenly the air was full of spells as she launched herself forward. Throwing another lightning spell to join the volley, we watched as Tifa finally made it all the way to the boss and unleashed a series of punches before somersaulting up and kicking the dragon's head then ending the assault with a kick to the center of the dragon's chest.

Though a little dazed, the dragon was able to muster itself up enough to catch Tifa with its tail before she could retreat out of range. The brunette martial artist crashed into a wall where Cloud was quick to recover her.

"Tifa!" he shouted as he carried her back to the backline.

"I got her, get the dragon!" I called as I rushed to help. Cloud nodded then raised his sword and charged towards the dragon. I started with a phoenix down to revive Tifa then cast a high powered cure spell to hopefully heal any injuries I couldn't see then checked her pupils.

"It got me," she murmured.

"Not nearly as hard as you got it!" I responded.

A shriek drew both of our attention and we glanced up to see Yuffie seem to strike the ground under the dragon shook as though there were an earthquake!

Cloud took the presented opportunity to strike at the dragon's head while Zack and Kunsel took the front legs and Red tackled the tail. The surprise was Cid who dashed forward and thrust his spear deep into the dragon's chest with a mighty heave. He must have hit the heart because the dragon gave a mighty jerk before finally slumping over.

"An that's how ya deal with these fuckers!" Cid announced as he reached toward the dragon's head and retrieved an orb from its brow. "And a summon too!"

With the immediate danger averted, I found my thoughts settling on our encounter with Sephiroth just minutes ago. Even as I thanked Cait Sith who helped me back to my feet, I remembered the chilling discovery. The scream I'd been hearing whenever Sephiroth was around was actually coming from Sephiroth!


	32. Chapter 32

Tori: Wow, with each chapter we get more Story Alert notices but hardly any new reviewers.

Saria: Gotta love consistent reviewers! Hugs and cookies to them all!

SA: (throws computer at Saria) Less gab more write. The more we keep you distracted the faster you'll heal.

zzzzzzzzzz

With the dragon dealt with, Zack ran back to the doors that Sephiroth had disappeared through. He visibly struggled with them but even his SOLDIER strength couldn't force them open. "Locked," he reported, visibly miffed.

Kunsel took command of the situation then. "Everyone spread out! Look for any means to get us out."

"What is that?" Vincent nodded towards the back of the room where we had just been.

Turning back, I helped Tifa to her feet and we all approached the altar. Upon the altar floated the image of a pyramid, an exact replica of the one we were in. Around the edges it was almost transparent but the closer you got to the center, the darker the image was shaded, the center being completely opaque.

"B.L.A.C.K…M.A.T.E.R.I.A…" Aeris read from the paintings on the altar. Curious myself, I glanced down and was surprised to find that I could make out the letters.

"Black Materia!" Cloud exclaimed as we all gazed at the image.

"That can't be right," Red stated as he stared at the image. "It doesn't look like a materia!"

"Much less a materia that could destroy the planet." Tifa moved up slightly to stand next to Cloud. "Why didn't Sephiroth take this in the time he obviously had before we got here?"

"I don't know, but he didn't so let's grab it and go!" Yuffie reached forward to grab the image then and as she did we all felt the temple shake beneath our feet.

Resituating himself on his mog, Cait Sith offered, "This place might not be entirely stable."

"That felt like the whole temple was shaking!" Zack declared.

"This shit is just getting weirder!" Cid said.

"Hold on, I'll ask the Cetra. Maybe they'll know." Aeris stepped away from the group to converse with the spirits. "I don't understand... What? ...Really?"

I felt the feelings of the departed Cetra also, felt their attention on the image and then it turned outward to cover the entire temple.

"They say the temple itself is the Black Materia." Aeris's statement was met by blank stares from everyone else.

"What?" Barret dead panned.

"The whole building is the Black Materia."

"Say again?" Yuffie looked beyond shocked and she wasn't alone. Cid's mouth was hanging open to the extent that his cigarette had dropped and I don't think he noticed. Zack was staring at the walls with a new sense of wonder.

"So, this entire place?"

"How the hell're we supposed to protect this big-ass place from Sephiroth?" Cid demanded. "He could sneak in just 'bout any time!"

"Not to mention this isn't exactly portable," Cait Sith added.

Aeris pointed at the image of temple. "This is a model, inside is a device which makes it smaller each time you solve a puzzle. As it gets smaller, you do too. Until it fits into the palm of your hand."

"So if we solve the puzzles, the temple will get smaller and smaller until we can hold it as a materia?" Cloud asked and Aeris nodded.

"But there's one thing. You can only answer the puzzles inside the temple..."

"So the solver gets crushed," I finished. "The Cetra didn't want this magic falling into the wrong hands."

"So, would it be safe to just leave it?" Yuffie looked a bit spooked at the notion of being crushed, especially since she had been the one to grab the model to start with.

"No, either Shinra or Sephiroth would still come for it. There are plenty of people they would view as disposable for this sort of thing."

"If Shinra sent Hojo I might just think it a fair trade," I heard Kunsel mutter.

"So what do we do?"

"We'll use my stuffed body!" Cait Sith declared, earning everyone attention instantly. "I won't actually get hurt and I've brains enough to solve any of these puzzles!"

A number of people scowled then.

"Don't like that!" Barret declared hotly.

"But we can't let Shinra or Sephiroth have this materia!" Tifa argued, obviously on Cait's side.

"What else can you do?"

"He's right," I interjected. "We can't just leave this place as it is, and he is the only one who won't get hurt."

"We'd be down one spy," Kunsel stated.

"Fine," Cloud finally agreed.

"Let's get you all outside then so that I can get started!" The little cat led us back to the clock chamber then, intent to get us out.

"Wait! How are we supposed to exit this place?" I asked as we entered the clock room. "There was no exit going back."

"Then we'll need to check these other doors and hope we find something," Zack responded.

The clock was of course stuck on 12:30.

"Seems like as good of a place as any to start." Zack led the way across rapidly and based on the fact several of the others turned their heads left and right, it was obvious that they noticed the second hand was gone. Once in the final chamber, Zack ran to the door and grabbed the knob.

"This… doesn't feel right," he uttered.

"Don't wanna leave yet?" Barret called out.

"No, as in this door feels warm."

Cloud jumped up next to Zack then and also felt the living door. "He's right."

A call from the surrounding power had me on my guard instantly, right as the door demon appeared.

Zack and Cloud, who were the closest to the thing, immediately drew their swords as they jumped back.

"Cid, use the summon!" I shouted as I drew my tantō, preparing to summon Shiva.

Cid's response was to shuffle with his materia for a moment, slotting the new summon into his armlet.

During that time the gate demon made its first sweep with its fist, knocking Cloud and Zack back and away. Kunsel barely managed to dodge while Red opted to clamp onto the appendage with his teeth.

The monster roared in anger at Red and swatted with its other arm but Red thankfully released it and leaped back.

Finally ready, Cid used our newest summon and before us the outline of a large dragon began to appear. The shape filled in quickly and darkened into the famed dragon. The burst it breathed out at the monster was eye-searingly bright and though it seemed like a fire based move, I couldn't detect any heat. As the light of the blast began to dissipate, so too did Bahamut.

The demon wasn't happy at all; scorches covered the entire wall it was a part of as well as its head and arms. It was odd to see but the demon proceeded to rush at us, slamming the middle line hard.

I grunted as I hit the ground, certain that I was seeing stars. Beside me I heard several more groans and realized that most of us had been hit pretty hard. My head cleared a moment later and I switched Haste with Restore, pairing it with my All and cast the spell.

Head clearing further, I shakily regained my feet as Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel jumped to theirs.

Charging up a lightning spell, I sent a bolt at one of the arms, causing it to spasm as an ice spell caused the other arm to lock up for a moment.

The three swordsmen rushed at the head unhindered now then the monster's head shot to the ceiling, ramming the rocky roof hard.

"Look out!" Tifa shouted and everyone's attention went upwards to see where the roof shard would fall.

Jumping back, I barely avoided a piece of ceiling only to receive a glancing blow from one of the claws of the monster. Glancing up, the wall was approaching us yet again, the beast trying to use our distraction to ram us yet again.

Allowing the power to flow, time seemed to slow down around me, the onslaught of the wall turning into a crawl.

Drawing my sword, I rushed forward and opened a large wound across the snarling face of the monster and sent a Jedi push against the wall before kicking back.

A rush hit me then; all my wounds suddenly seemed to be healed. As time sped back up, I saw everyone felt the same. At the back Aeris was holding her staff with her head bowed in prayer and I realized that this was her doing.

"Here we go ya fucker!" Cid yelled as he leaped forward, spear at the ready.

Barret loaded a grenade into his canon and fired right as Cid's spear pierced the monster's arm. The grenade exploded on the head of the monster.

"Watch it!" Cid yelled as another roar was heard, this one coming from Vincent.

Turning, I got a front row seat for Vincent's second transformation. Once again his cloak seemed to flow around him then dissipated to reveal the mismatched skin of Death Gigas.

The beast roared again and began to spark, a charge growing rapidly in front of him.

Realizing he probably didn't want to be in his current location, Cid yanked his spear free and high-tailed it back to behind Vincent.

The attack was spectacular, electricity arcing every which way as the ball smashed into the false wall. The screech from the monster was also spectacular then the thing slumped.

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief at the fight finally being finished. Vincent's form also shrank back down to normal.

Stepping out of the temple was both saddening and relieving. It was saddening since we left all the knowledge of what was probably the last stronghold of the Cetra on Gaia. It was relieving since the weight of every Cetra voice was no longer pushing at my mind.

"Alright everyone, I'll handle the rest, you take care of yourselves." Cait announced before he reached down and seemed to fiddle slightly with his armlet and megaphone.

Aeris wore a remorseful look before glancing slightly at Zack. Grabbing his hand, she dragged him a bit closer to Cait. "Hey, how about you read our fortunes?"

"Oh yeah It's been a while since I've done that." He jumped onto his mog and prepared to do his dance. "I'm so excited, right or wrong; I'm still the same ol' me. Now what should I predict?"

"Let's see, how compatible Cloud and I are!" Tifa, Cloud, and Zack's eyes all bulged before the two others stared at Cloud. "Just kidding! How compatible are Zack and I?"

"Alright here I go!" The dance began and I had to laugh at it. "Your stars are perfect! They show a great future! I'll be your matchmaker, your preacher! Just tell me when it all happens."

The outburst caused everyone to laugh before Cait turned to me. "May I read a fortune for you one more time?"

"Alright, but I still believe in choices."

Cait smiled at me again before beginning his dance again, the mog handing me a piece of paper moments later.

"Trust your intuition, it has led me to some of the greatest things I will ever find," I read then stared at Cait. Was this purposeful?

"Would you hold these lass?" Cait handed me a small sack then. "Don't want those gettin crushed now do we?"

He disappeared into the temple before anyone else could say anything and less than five minutes later we heard a rumbling and watched as the temple shrank, and shrank, and shrank. When it was finally done there was a very deep crater in the ground and an ominously black glowing materia.

"That's it, the Black Materia," Cloud murmured, the eleven of us remaining staring down into the crater.

"We didn't come all this way to just look at it," Zack stated as he jumped into the crater, Cloud following him along with Aeris.

It seemed certain that the Black Materia would be fine, Zack wasn't controlled by Sephiroth! He could stop Cloud.

"Alright ya numbskulls, spread out so no one can get into this hole without us knowing!" Cid called out. Seeing no reason to complain or dispute, I began to march around the crater, alternating between looking in as Cloud and Zack helped Aeris down and searching the sky and jungle for Sephiroth.

I stopped about a third of the way around when they reached the bottom of the pit and found myself staring down at them.

It seemed to be the typical exchange happening right now; Cloud picked up the materia then turned to talk to Aeris and Zack. Aeris shook her head then to my surprise she turned her head slightly in my direction.

_**Cloud, Aeris, and Zack**_

"So this is the Black Materia," Cloud stated as he picked up the ominous feeling materia. "As long as we have this, Sephiroth can't summon Meteor. Can you use this?" he asked as he turned back to Aeris.

"Why would she want to?" Zack demanded as Aeris studied the materia.

"No," she said simply. "It requires a great amount of spiritual power to activate this."

"Like when Rachas froze the pillar?"

"She had help," Aeris replied as she turned her head slightly in the other Cetra's direction. "But it would have to be an abundance of energy, much like what you would find in the Promised Land."

"The Promised Land!" Zack and Cloud exclaimed simultaneously.

"But Sephiroth is no Cetra so he shouldn't be able to find the Promised Land," Aeris reassured.

"Ah But I have." Two of the three whipped around, looking for the source of the voice and found him to be at the edge of the crater. "I am far superior to the Ancients; I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients. I also gained the knowledge and wisdom of those after the extinction of the Ancients." Sephiroth floated over the crater, smug smile in place. "I will create the future!"

"I won't let you do it; the future is not only yours!" Aeris shouted back, certain that everyone above was ready to lend their support.

"Hmmm I wonder..." Both Sephiroth and Cloud stared at each other until Sephiroth muttered "Wake up."

Aeris stared in horror as Cloud fell to the ground, a look of obvious pain on his face. Beside her though, Zack did nothing, he stared off in a different direction and never noticed the turmoil of his friend.

"Cloud!"

_**Normal**_

A call from the Planet alerted me to something going on that I couldn't see so I reached out, feeling for that scream… Found it!

Reaching out with the power, I managed to tear the veil away right in time to see Sephiroth hold out his hand and a very confused Cloud slowly beginning to climb to his feet. And Zack was doing nothing!

"CLOUD! DON'T!" I screamed, drawing the attention of everyone who hadn't already noticed to the pit. My scream had no effect on the intended target though. His hand reached out to Sephiroth, the Black Materia in hand.

I lashed out with the power then, ripping the materia from Cloud's hand, bringing it flying towards me.

"Not even you will stand in my way." Sephiroth was suddenly in front of me, catching the Black materia before I could grab it then turning to me. Pure terror rang through my senses but I remembered my training and pushed it down so none showed on my face despite my knees quaking so badly that I was surprised I was standing. He smirked in his superior fashion then launched into the sky.

"Help!" Aeris's cry came from the pit then and I saw Cloud banging his fists against the ground, confusion and anger written over his face. "Cloud, stop!"

Aeris's plea only caused Cloud to lash out at her, his confusion and anger reaching insane levels. And Zack still wasn't moving!

Lashing out with the power, I shoved Zack into a wall and thankfully knocked him out of his stupor.

"Cloud!" Zack grabbed Cloud's wrists and grappled him away from Aeris.

"Someone do something!" Tifa shouted as I remembered the bag Cait Sith had handed to me. Ripping it open, I was relieved to find the materia, including the Seal.

"Hold him still!" I shouted at Zack as I cast the spell. It took several casts but Cloud finally slipped into unconsciousness. Kunsel had jumped down during that time and grabbed up Aeris and climbed out with her.

"Oops, this looks like I came at a bad time." I glanced over at the new Cait Sith. "I'm Cait Sith No. 2. Right pleased to meet you all!"

"What now?" Tifa asked as Zack climbed up with Cloud over one shoulder.

"We head to the nearest town," Vincent was the one who made this call.

"Sounds good to me." Zack hefted up Cloud and headed for the jungle.

I was thankful no one asked about the flying materia, we had much more important things to think about currently. The ride to Gongaga gave me plenty of time to think and reflect though.

I had relied too much on the thought that Zack would be able to keep Cloud under control until the dip in the Lifestream enabled Cloud to resist Sephiroth on his own. Thinking back I should have seen the foolishness of that thought, Zack was experimented on the same way Cloud had been. He wasn't as affected, but there had to be something that would result from that. Now Sephiroth had the Black Materia and it was almost as though I had handed it to him. And Aeris was going to reach the conclusion very soon that she needed to go pray for Holy. Thank god she doesn't have foresight yet, it'll be easier to intercept her.

Midway through the ride Cait Sith came back and sat next to me.

"Hey," I offered, feeling more than a little beaten at the moment. Handing the bag the first Cait Sith had given to me to him, I said, "Here's your materia."

"So, Sephiroth got the Black Materia?"

"It was so strange, like we couldn't see him until it was almost too late, then it was and Cloud went insane… I used your Seal to put him to sleep."

"It's not your fault," the cat robot said then nodded at where Aeris was being attended to by Zack. She wasn't really hurt and I had already tried using my cure spell on her. At this point she just needed to rest. "She'll be fine soon enough."

We had spent most of the day going through the temple; it had been late evening before we had gotten to the Bronco so once again we kept moving through the entire night. And as bad as I knew it was to operate machinery while exhausted, I took my turn without complaint.

We landed on the shore near Gongaga before the sun rose and once again Zack grabbed Cloud, hauling him over his shoulder for the walk. Aeris was carried by Kunsel once again as well. The rest of us kept the monsters at bay.

Locke and Terra were both surprised to see us all back so soon, especially considering Zack's former record of visiting. They had been quick to set Aeris up in Zack's room and Cloud was in turn set up in the living room. We watched them both carefully. It was during my first shift that I slipped into a meditation and looked for when Aeris would attempt to leave.

Through the shifting and unfocused lines of the future, one thing was abundantly clear: Aeris would wake in a day and try to depart without talking to anyone.

I knew of only one way to stop her. I gently disentangled the White Materia from her hair and equipped it into my sword. Reaching out with the power, I touched her mind and slipped in with little difficulty.

'Aeris, I know what you're planning, but I can't allow you to go alone. I have Holy with me, so when you wake come talk to me.' My message sent, I walked out of the room and began to plan further.

We wouldn't be able to wait for Cloud to wake; Sephiroth might take the opportunity to kill Aeris before Holy could be cast even if everyone else was there to try to stop him. Just leaving with Aeris was out of question though, despite all that had happened I was still someone who was more a reactive fighter and hesitated over making the first blow.

Writing down a list of everyone's names, I started trying to compile a team to go with us, the second group would stay with Cloud. Zack was automatically in the second group due to the experimentation he had gone through as was Red though I doubted he had been exposed to Jenova cells. Although I would have preferred not to, Kunsel would be coming with us since we would need a fighter and Tifa would want to stay with Cloud. He also hadn't been affected by Sephiroth's presence. Vincent I also wanted with us.

A group of four should be small enough to move around unnoticed, so now I needed to catch both of these men and speak to them.

Finding both men was easy enough though I almost had to physically drag Kunsel away from Yuffie. Wanting to insure privacy I had both meet me at the intersection that served as the fork between the blown-up reactor, the village, and the exit of Gongaga.

"What did you want to speak to us about?" Kunsel started in straight away.

Seeing no reason to beat around the bush, I cut straight to the chase myself. "There is way to stop Meteor if it is cast…"

"How?" Vincent was staring at me pointedly.

"The anti-thesis of Meteor is Holy, the White Materia. Aeris has had it the whole time."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because it was better to try to insure Sephiroth never got the materia. We may still get a chance to stop him, and we will need to for Holy to work if he does cast Meteor. What we need to focus on now is casting Holy first and for that we will need to go somewhere special."

"You intend for us to go with you two." That was Vincent, always quick to put together the clues.

Kunsel's eyes widened slightly. "What of Zack and Cloud and Yuffie? What about everyone else?"

"After what happened when Sephiroth appeared, I think it's better for the four of us to go ahead and leave instructions for them to follow. They can meet up with us later, but we need to get this cast."

"I understand," Vincent stated.

"How will we tell the others? Zack really won't be happy."

"A note, we can't have everyone trying to follow or talk us out of this."

"Don't I get a say in this?" We all turned to see Zack entering the area, he looked a bit distressed. "I can understand that this needs to be done, but why can't I go?"

"In case Cloud freaks out again, you need to be here."

"You didn't react when the rest of us saw Sephiroth, like you were in a trance." Vincent's comment drew a blank look from Zack.

Kunsel explained further. "We all noticed Sephiroth but you didn't react at all. It wasn't until you got bumped later when Cloud was having his fit that you came to." So, they had noticed that and understood why I was talking to them and not including Zack.

"So… Me and Cloud… We're dangerous to you guys."

"I'm going to give you directions. When Cloud recovers, then come to meet us."

Zack nodded numbly. "So, I might of… And Cloud…"

"When will we be leaving?" Vincent asked.

"Aeris should wake up tomorrow; she'll want to leave immediately."

"Make sure you leave those instructions and let me see her before you leave." Zack didn't look happy, but he definitely seemed to understand.

We trooped back to Gongaga then and I really began to feel the pressure of the world upon me. Since flying was out of question at the moment, I found myself wandering Gongaga and was surprised when some of the men came through. Since jobs were near non-existent here, they had taken to traveling to the cost and fishing. They had apparently gotten lucky and caught a large amount of shrimp.

Finally seeing a new method of stress relief available, I bought a little over two pounds of the shrimp and then went through Terra's garden, plucking tomatoes and peppers before heading to the local market. Their selection wasn't vast but they had the onions, garlic, tomato sauce, and celery I needed.

In Terra's kitchen I found a large pot, rice, chili powder, and after talking to Zack's mom, the Gaia version of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.

I sliced the onions, tomatoes, celery, and peppers and minced the garlic then peeled and deveined the shrimp.

Setting the pot on the stove and adding a bit of oil, I set the onions, celery, and garlic to cook then added the tomatoes and sauce along with the spices and seasonings. By this time everyone seemed to have realized that I was cooking and were gravitating towards the kitchen. More than once I had to rap Yuffie or Zack's prying fingers with a spoon.

Pulling out another pot, I started cooking some rice then tested the Creole and added a bit more chili and Worcestershire. Evening had fallen before I added the shrimp and peppers to finish cooking.

"Well, this is certainly different," Terra said with a smile during a moment when she made a pass through the room. "I've never really had a guest who cooked dinner without me."

"Just trying to relieve some stress," I responded then tested the Creole again. The shrimp should be done by now and everything seemed ready. "Could you pull out some bowls for everyone?"

Dinner that night was very different and I don't think I'll ever be able to eat Shrimp Creole ever again. Terra pestered me to write down the recipe more than once and though I got plenty of compliments neither Zack nor I were able to finish our first serving. He was likely upset knowing that Aeris was going to go somewhere without him, but I was afraid. If my slowly forming plan worked, then Holy would be cast and Aeris would live. If anything went wrong though…

I sat with Cait Sith/Reeve that night and we pointed out the various constellations before turning in then spoke some about engineering and what areas interested us.

_**Shinra**_

Rufus groaned as he read through the latest report from Cait Sith on the status of AVALANCHE. They had managed to collect the Black Materia from the Temple of the Ancients only to lose it to Sephiroth and according to what could be gathered thus far, he knew where the Promised Land was now!

Across the desk was Reno, temporarily in charge of the Turks, Reeve, Scarlet, Heidegger, and Professor Hojo. Each of the people here was necessary for what needed to be done.

"It seems that due to the floundering of AVALANCHE that Sephiroth has gotten his hands on the Black Materia as well as revealed that he knows the location of the Promised Land." Reeve gave no reaction since he had already known but Scarlet was the first to explode.

"He knows?" the female executive shrieked. "How could he possibly know? We only lost track of him for several days!"

"Say the word and Turk will be on their asses, yo!" Reno was gun-ho it would seem.

"Gya-ha-ha, so even the great AVALANCHE can't stop Sephiroth!"

"And how has your army done against this band of misfits?" Scarlet snarled.

Rufus slammed his hand down on the desk to regain attention. "I care not what AVALANCHE does at the moment, what is important is finding Sephiroth and the Promised Land. Previously in one of his interactions with AVALANCHE he told them to go north but we dismissed that with the discovery of the Temple of the Ancients. Now it seems we should explore the possibility again."

Heidegger's mouth twisted into an ugly smirk. "Gya-ha-ha, shall I mobilize our forces for the search then?"

"That seems to be the only thing they are competent at. Search the Northern Continent. Reeve, are there any new developments with AVALANCHE?"

"Nothing, they have set up camp and are trying to heal those injured when Sephiroth took the materia."

"When will they be moving again?"

"They will require a week by my estimates. Gainsborough was injured and has yet to regain consciousness while Strife seems to have had an episode."

"Fine then. Hojo, have you any way to track Sephiroth?"

The scientist offered one of his creepy smiles, one that showed little sanity if he had any left. "I may have a way, but it would take a few days to be certain."

"Then get to it. All of you are now dismissed."

It always struck Reeve as odd that Hojo seemed to prefer taking that stair but in this case he was glad for it. Though he had to deal with sharing the elevator with Scarlet and Heidegger at least they were busy arguing with each other and paid him no mind.

He was almost to his office when his PHS rang and automatically picked it up.

"This is Reeve."

"Hey," a voice came over the line. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, not in the least. How are you doing Rachas?" Glancing at the clock he realized it should be morning in Gongaga.

"I'm doing well, though my friends and I have had some hard luck recently. Are you working on any projects currently?"

"As I think you know, Midgar recently had a bit of a disaster happen in the form of a plate falling. I'm helping to develop a plan for supporting the survivors; currently the new President of Shinra has approved the expansion of Midgar to provide extra housing."

"I had heard of the incident. How're the survivors faring?"

"They're being put up in schools, auditoriums, and shelters at the moment. A number of them have also moved in with family or friends. My mother has even taken in a young boy."

The conversation carried for a few more minutes with him elaborating some on the plans then asking what her plans in the near future were. She answered that she didn't know where she was headed next but she would let him know. He hinted at wanting to see her and for some reason she sounded slightly humored though she did admit she would like that.

A knock on his office door was heard and Reno entered a moment later.

"Something just came up, I'll call you later," he said, receiving a good bye before hanging up.

_**Normal**_

After calling Reeve that morning, I made sure I was packed and ready to go as soon Aeris woke. Luckily no one who didn't know what was planned noticed, everyone in some capacity was too wrapped up in either what had happened at the temple or helping Zack with chores assigned to him by Locke.

At mid-morning I gave Zack the instructions on how to get to the Forgotten City. Late morning came around and I felt Aeris begin to rouse so I signaled to Kunsel and Vincent to start heading out.

Zack was taking a break when he saw us move out with our packs plus Aeris's and followed us. We stopped at the edge of the forest and didn't have to wait long for Aeris to come to us.

"You can't stop me, I have to go," she began the moment we met up then took in how three of the four of us had our packs plus hers. "What?"

"We're not going to stop you, you're just not going alone," Zack said before giving us a meaningful look. Each of us understood and moved away to give the two a moment of privacy. I wandered toward the cemetery for a few minutes.

"Where ya headin, lass?" It was Cait Sith though right now he wasn't being controlled by Reeve.

"The cemetery," I answered.

"Why?"

I shrugged and continued to walk, stopping short at the fence of the cemetery. Cait Sith followed me and gazed in. "I don't understand these human customs, why leave reminders like this?"

"Because people like to remember and be remembered, for the most part. These graves, they can bring sadness to those who are left behind, but they also serve as reminders."

As human as Cait Sith seemed at times, it didn't defeat the fact he was a robot and some of this went over his head. He compensated by trying to change the subject. "You think Cloud-boy will be alright soon?"

"He'll be a bit down on himself for a while, but he'll recover. If not then Tifa, Zack, and I will give him some good old fashioned kicks-in-the-rear. Would you like to join the roster?" I grinned at the thought.

"Might want to open that list to everyone!"

"Some would like that too much," I replied then sobered when I saw Vincent heading our direction, Aeris and Kunsel not far behind him. "What were you up to?"

"Nothing much lass, oh! Aeris is finally awake!" Before he could hop over to her though, I caught the little robot's arm. "Why is she carrying a pack?"

"I'm sorry. Tell Reeve that I did enjoy our time together and maybe one day we can try again." As I spoke I began to power-up an electrical charge to temporarily overload the little doll.

"How long have ye known?"

"The two of you have different speech patterns," I responded then unleashed the attack. Cait Sith's fur seemed to stand on end for a moment and then he slumped over, twitching every so often. It would take him a minute or two to reboot.

"Ready?" Vincent asked as he swept past, not sparing a second glance at Cait Sith.

"Yeah." I fell in behind him as we left the village and quickly shut off my PHS. We had already agreed the best route was to head for the Weapon dealers village to catch a boat going north. Rests would be kept to a minimum and supplies carefully rationed.

We traveled as quickly as we could and didn't bother with setting up tents that night. We had left all extra equipment in Gongaga so when we did finally stop each of us just had a blanket and we didn't bother with fires to reduce the risk of someone or something happening upon us.

We reached the village early the next day and found a boat that was headed to the Northern Continent to deliver supplies to Bone Village. They asked no questions so long as we paid five-hundred gil per person.

It was weird to travel with so few people which in turn I found weird when I reviewed my lifestyle on Earth. At the drop of a hat I had been ready to travel the globe whether it be as part of an aircraft crew or as a single pilot. I never had traveling companions.

We arrived in Bone Village that evening and at the insistence of both Aeris and me, we kept going. The Sleeping Forest was no problem for Cetra so we didn't bother trying to get a Lunar Harp and simply ran into the woods, probably causing the excavator trying to yell warnings at us to have a heart attack.

Eventually I saw the flash of red that I knew was Kjata materia and peeled away from the others to catch it. The Jedi pull had no effect on it so I was reduced to the normal chase-and-grab method.

"What was that about?" Kunsel asked as I rejoined them on the path.

"I saw something." I held up the materia. "This guy was floating around the woods."

"A floating materia?" Vincent didn't sound convinced.

We finally caught our first glimpse of the Forgotten Capital right around 10pm according to Vincent and took off down the stone path to the city.

"This is very different." Kunsel stared at the various buildings that still stood even as Aeris and I led the way to the center of the city.

Much like with the temple the spirits of Cetra long departed but choosing to linger rather than join with the Planet could be felt and heard all around. The broken city felt far from empty to me, it felt more like there were people everywhere, talking to both Aeris and me as we made our way to the main structure that still stood.

"Wow…" Aeris murmured when we beheld the strange shell-like building that sat over the area where her prayer would happen.

"Agreed," Kunsel added, his own eyes staring in disbelief.

"The place should be in there," I said as we skirted the pond in front to the entrance. Entering the building, we found the fish monument in the center of the floor slowly lifting itself out of the way to reveal the path to the prayer altar.

Kunsel led the way this time, though even from behind you could see his awe at the place. His head swiveled left and right before staring straight down at the stairs.

"And the award for impressive architecture goes to the Ancients."

As we followed him down into the structure I had to agree, this was the most beautiful place I had ever seen! Crystal stairs that seemed to hang free in the air that circled down to the heart of the building, the buildings looked to be made of marble and crystal as well, everything glowing brilliantly. Above us I could sense thousands of presences flowing through the entrance into this place of prayer. When the tide had ebbed, the panel of the fish slid down, covering the entrance.

"We're locked in," Vincent observed flatly, obviously bothered by the development.

The voice of a Cetra called out, reassuring me that that was normal. "It's supposed to do that. It will open again once the prayers are finished and Holy has been cast."

"We need to get to the pavilion," Aeris said as she pointed down at the small alcove on the water.

Our descent to the city was nerve-wracking, the crystal looked so smooth and flawless that I kept expecting to slip and had nothing like a rail to hold onto.

"I'm never gonna complain about stairs after this." Kunsel seemed to be sweating the worst of all of us.

We reached the base of the stairs without incident and then moved through the marble building, taking another flight of stairs down to the base level. Reaching the edge of the pool, Aeris and I took the path to the pavilion where I finally returned Aeris's materia.

"Sorry it came to this, but I couldn't allow you to do this alone."

"I think I really did want someone to be here even if I refused to let anyone put themselves in danger for me. Ready?"

Glancing out at where Vincent and Kunsel stood, I nodded. "About as ready as I'll ever be for this."

Aeris sank to her knees then, the White Materia in her folded hands. I remained standing, intent to not be in such a helpless position when Sephiroth arrived, but also because I had no clue of what else to do.

'What are we going to do?' I thought, feeling the restless spirits around us. They seemed to be waiting for something, a signal of some sort. You needed an immense amount of spiritual power to activate Meteor, was Holy the same?

Reaching out with the power I sent my thoughts outward, telling the thousands of Cetra spirits that were amassed here of the predicament the Planet had fallen into, that the Calamity had the Black Materia and we needed them to guide us to cast Holy.

The answer was in the form of one of the spirits calling out; his words clear since he had been waiting here, in this Capital, knowing that the day would come when this need would arise.

'We pray in this place, the heart of our people, as darkness should fall upon this world.'

More of the voices of the Cetra joined him, hundreds sounding within the first few words, thousands speaking simultaneously before that first line was finished.

'A darkness that threatens the Planet, for which we offer our prayers and power to the Goddess.'

I had goosebumps running up and down my arms, this entire event was amazing! Glancing out I saw even Kunsel and Vincent seemed to be looking about as if they were hearing this.

'May the Goddess bring her blessing for the future of the Planet, so that life may continue.'

Aeris was beginning to murmur the words of the prayer now as was I. The entire thing was surreal, so many spirits chanting a single prayer over and over. Aeris and I had been up for so many hours at this point but neither of us felt tired as the prayer continued. All sense of time was lost in this place as the choir of spirits continued and then they began to fade. It was done.

The smile Aeris wore was a joyful one, though it also showed some of her exhaustion. "We pray in this place…" she continued to recite and I didn't stop her.

"Hey! The door opened!" I heard Kunsel call out and jerked to see him staring straight up towards the distant ceiling. It was finally time.

Moving to the side of the pavilion, I kept a sharp eye out as several minutes later the sound of feet on the stairs could be heard. Zack and Cloud were the first down and both jumped onto the path that led up to the pavilion.

Zack froze next to the entrance while Cloud pushed in to the pavilion and walked up to stand before Aeris.

I saw the moment the Sephiroth's command reached him, they way he tried to fight it as he was forced to raise his sword, Zack never reacting. I raised my hand then, preparing to launch my own attack. Aeris finished the final line of the prayer then and looked up, and Cloud finally seemed to gain some control.

A swish from above served as my signal and I gave a very firm push, throwing Aeris firmly into Zack and sending them both over the edge of the pavilion and path, into the water below.

His own trance broken, Cloud tried to catch Sephiroth with his blade but he froze mid-swing.

Sputtering came from below then Zack's voice shouted out "Cloud!"

Reaching out again with the power, I threw my mind at Sephiroth's, clawing at his consciousness. This wasn't his body, so could the person it originally belonged to be the one screaming? The answer was no. Some small part of Sephiroth, his innocence and compassion, had resisted Jenova's thrall. What was left of his soul was forced to watch his form and identity be used to turn on everything he had held dear!

I returned to my body feeling as though I'd been slapped, more tired than I think I'd ever been.

Standing opposite of me, the false being created by Jenova sneered at me, an ugly expression that twisted the handsome face it wore.

"Insect!" it roared, eyes glowing with madness and hate.

I was frozen by fear as I stared at those eyes. The side of the pavilion was right behind me, I had intentionally stationed myself here so I could jump if it came to this, so why couldn't I move?

"I'll kill you for that, Mother will be most pleased." I saw Masamune get raised high then as he prepared to cut me down and my training finally broke as I quaked in pure fear, my arms and legs suddenly feeling like they were made of jelly.

I shut my eyes out of reflex as the arm came down and waited for the pain and it came in the form of my back impacting the floor of the pavilion, a heavy form covering me.

Forcing my eyes open, the first thing I saw was an armlet with a purple materia that I quickly identified as Cover equipped. The next was the natural tanned skin and dark handsome face.

"REEVE!"


	33. Chapter 33

Tori, SA, and Zas: (look through the reviews then glance at each other) RUN!

Saria: Very funny! Get back here you three! (No answer) Uh… my muses have run away… Guess I'll have to let my imagination run wild for this one.

Thanks to all the lovely reviewers!

zzzzzzzzzz

Reeve had used Cover to save me… Used Cover… Reeve…

"Reeve!" I grabbed the arm of the man who had just saved my life and shook him gently but there was no response. Across his back was a large, deep gash.

Tears filled my eyes as the his form remained still, then a deep, burning anger rose in my chest, rushed through my head, and pounded in my ears. Any exhaustion I had felt previously was wiped away.

"All that is left is to go North over the snowy fields to the Promised Land. He'll join the spiritual world soon enough, and when I unite with the Planet so will he. For that is the cycle of nature."

Standing and gently stepping around Reeve's body, I faced Sephiroth again, this time feeling no fear.

"Sephiroth or whatever the hell you are, prepare to be the first witness of a Jedi-style Smack Down!" I screamed and lashed out violently with the power.

Sephiroth looked honestly surprised when he was lifted and thrown into one of the pavilion pillars before being grabbed and slammed into yet another then into the floor and back to the first pillar he had been thrown into.

Drawing even more power, I unleashed a massive bolt of lightning. Sephiroth caught the attack with his sword and managed to disperse the strike with a slash. I was on the offensive again though, sword already drawn, swinging hard at the former general's torso only for the man to teleport away.

He reappeared on the path outside the pavilion and I tried to make another charge only for Cloud to grab me and hold me back.

"Calm down!" he ordered and forced me behind him, and for all my rage I still couldn't fight off an enhanced human. His eyes then turned to Sephiroth, anger apparent. "And screw your supposed cycle of nature and stupid plan, they mean nothing! What about the people you kill? What about their pain? Our pain?"

I was in tears at this point, my hotheaded rage had ebbed and now I felt emptiness, numbness.

Sephiroth still wore a sneer as he stared at Cloud, though now there was a bit of an inquiring look in his eye. "What are you saying? Are you telling me you have feelings too?"

"Of course! Who do you think I am?" Cloud now looked bewildered and angered.

"Stop acting as if you're sad. There's no need for you to act angry either." Sephiroth jumped in the air and started to hover, his arms outstretched. "Because, Cloud. You are..."

The former general flew upwards then, and I turned and ran back to Reeve's form. His skin was already cool when I touched his face, but still I raised my Restore materia and cast cure.

"Please," I murmured as new tears began to fall. I cast cure again and there was still no response nor did the wound on his back close. "Please!"

Reaching down, I tried to roll Reeve over so that he was face-up and got the surprise of my life when his head popped off! Shocked, I jumped back as the entire body fell apart and a little ball of black fur popped out. Cait Sith… I should have known! I only got 10-15 minutes into the game play of Dirge of Cerberus, and this was one of Reeve's tricks!

"Well, that was a bit close! I thought something like this would happen so I sent my direct-link model." Cait Sith seemed just fine and Reeve hadn't really been the one hit to shield me. He had been controlling a robot that looked like himself…

I grabbed that damned robotic cat. "IF YOU EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND PUT THE FEAR OF GOD IN YOU!" I was crying again yet smiling as I yelled those words.

"I could say the same to you!" Reeve's voice yelled through Cait Sith, no filter attempting to disguise it. "Admitting you knew it was me after Cait Sith sees Aeris and two others ready to go and then overloading my robot and turning off your phone! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Oi love birds! We have a problem!" Barret's yell drew both of our attentions and I realized in horror that everyone else had engaged the Jenova freak that had appeared.

"I can't fight like this," Reeve admitted as I put down the form of Cait Sith.

"We'll take care of this then… and thanks."

This piece of Jenova was pretty banged up already when I joined the fight, and I didn't even bother to try to cover up my Jedi abilities anymore. That particular cat was out of the bag already. Calling on the power, I lifted some of the debris that littered the ground and hurled it at the mound of flesh.

The screech of Jenova was cut off when Yuffie blew forward at high speeds, weaving a fast and dangerous looking dance around Jenova with her shuriken.

Barret was not far away, emptying a salvo into the monstrous form before Cid used him as a spring board, launching himself high into the air and planting his spear into the head-like appendage.

A howl sounded and then Red clamped on to the tail while a dripping Zack hacked at the base with his sword. Tifa seemed to have fallen victim to a water-based attack also and was visibly dripping as well and was being helped to her feet by a soaked Aeris.

Not bothering to power up my lightning materia, I called to the power once more and sent a powerful electrical current into the chest of monster, putting everything I had into this last attack.

Jenova screamed again and seemed to start to melt in on itself when Cloud launched himself high again.

"Because, you are… a puppet." The words almost sounded like they were whispered but I'm sure everyone heard them as Cloud's limit break crashed down on Jenova in the form of a shower of meteors.

Jenova gave one more jerk then sank in on itself. Not even wanting to know what piece of that beast we had just hacked up, I cast fire immediately, setting the limb ablaze and turned away. Cait Sith joined us then on the ground.

"Why couldn't you help us?" I asked as I regained my breath.

"Your electric attack in Gongaga fried the original power cell in this body. It had to be replaced by the Mog's cell. The closest thing I had to a replacement was a direct-link form I had been tinkering with in Gold Saucer. Unlike me, it was able to reach Gongaga before everyone left."

"And you guys allowed this?" I asked, turning to everyone.

"We finally know what he looks like now," Tifa replied. "It kind of didn't make a difference, and Cloud was certain we would need all the help we could get."

"Gamble paid off!" Cid announced with a laugh. "Fucker had me worried for a while though."

"I think I should properly introduce myself," Reeve's voice again came through unfiltered. "My name is Reeve Tuesti. Currently I'm the Director of Urban Development."

"Reeve Tuesti?" Kunsel asked, understanding in his eyes.

"You know him?" Zack turned to the former 2nd.

"You do too; he was the one who requested mission for development. He's regarded as the most well-liked of the Shinra Executives."

"You flatter me."

"I have several questions." Vincent stepped forward, his eyes on me. "You announced yourself a Jedi in that atrium. Is that true?"

All eyes were instantly glued on me, equal parts wonderment and doubt apparent.

"Yes," I replied then called on the power to raise a stone to eye level as proof. "Those stories I told were meant for Aeris, to prepare her for training."

"Training?" Zack looked dumbfounded then all eyes were on Aeris.

She offered a shy smile then held out her hand and concentrated. The stone she was trying to call bounced once then came to her hand as everyone else stared, dumbstruck.

"Awesome!" Zack's enthusiastic response drew a smile from both Aeris and me.

"Next question: how did you meet Reeve Tuesti?"

"I had dinner with him in Gold Saucer."

"Is he trustworthy?"

"I trust him."

"Why?" Kunsel asked this last question.

Sighing, I decided to admit to an additional power I had. "I used my powers to read his intent. I felt nothing that would make me not trust him."

Cait Sith lurched then Reeve's voice came again. "You read my mind?"

"No! That's an invasion!" I defended. "I can detect when someone is being untruthful or has malicious intent. The Goddess would punish me severely for misusing my abilities!"

"But could you?" Zack was the one to ask this time.

"Yes, I can also plant ideas and force the weak-minded to obey me."

"How many times have you done that?" Cid was looking a bit horrified now.

I raised my fingers as I counted them off. "A train guard, the spy who told us about Shinra dropping the Sector 7 plate, the Junon elevator guard, Elena, and… Zack."

"ME?" Zack's outburst was a panicked one. "What did you do to me?"

"I didn't want to talk about Banora so I planted the idea that it was unimportant."

"You did that?"

"So, just five times and they were to avoid confrontation?" Kunsel visibly relaxed when I nodded.

"Fun as this is, I think we're all ready for a rest." Cloud's voice was solemn as he led us back to the stairs and up to the surface. It seemed everyone was eager and ready to depart.

Exhaustion fully hit me as we returned to the surface world and I staggered pretty badly for a few moments. It was dark right now and the moon was still quite high as we slowly made our way to a house that everyone had found earlier today and had been resting in earlier.

It seemed that the main group had raided some of the other houses that were still standing since there were six beds in here.

I didn't bother to remove my shoes or my pack as I hobbled to the nearest bed and collapsed into it.

Sleep came easily that night though every so often a new nightmare came to me in the form of Sephiroth's eyes glaring at me. I saw myself reflected in those hateful eyes, pale and shaking even as a scream reached me, the desperate scream of a trapped soul that was crying for help without hope of being heard.

I woke again early in the morning and found I couldn't even hope to fall back asleep. Zack was already up though as was Cloud, Cait Sith sitting with them.

"So where do we go now?"

Cloud replied to that one, fire in his voice. "Sephiroth said north across the snowy fields, so north we'll go."

"Alright, I'll not be able to fight until we reach Icicle Inn. Reeve should be able to send a new Mog for me to pick up there."

"I think we can watch out for you that far at least." Zack's tone to Cait Sith was friendly at least.

"We'll either need to cross a mountain range twice or make a long circle to reach Icicle Inn. We're several days away no matter which way you cut it. Any preferences?"

"We'd be fine crossing the mountains," Zack adamantly declared.

"Maybe ye'll be lad, but what of those who aren't enhanced? You heard Vincent earlier, Rachas and Aeris were awake for over 24 hours to first get here and then in prayer for Holy. The lasses need to recover."

"Hey guys," I walked out to join them, patting Cait Sith on the head as I did. "Any food?"

"Help yourself," Zack stated as he tossed me a bag of dried fruit. "My mom and dad were upset when the four of you disappeared. Be prepared to be thoroughly chewed out if we go back."

"I think there's already a line for those who are going to chew me out when we meet again for this little escapade."

"You've got that right!" Tifa announced her presence. "What were you thinking? I thought you had better sense than this!"

"Cloud needed to recover and this needed to be done as quickly as possible."

"It's not just that Tifa," Cloud said. "When Sephiroth is around Zack and I lose control. You saw what happened at the temple! What I almost did here!"

"She could have alerted us first," Tifa replied in a clipped tone. "And keeping abilities like what she has away from us for so long, even Vincent trusted us sooner!"

"The last time I showed anything irregular I ended up in a Shinra lab."

Tifa huffed slightly but relented. Over the next couple of minutes more of the other members woke up and joined us.

I was still very light-headed from the day before due to a combination of exhaustion and using as much power as I had. Still, I stood with everyone else as we prepared to go. Cloud surprised everyone, me included when he stood at the head of the group.

"Sephiroth announced yesterday that he would be heading north, and after what happened I know I should quit this journey, but I can't. I have to see this through to the end and if Sephiroth is heading north then so will I. I-it will be dangerous as you have seen, and I can't ask you to continue, it has to be everyone's choice."

Zack and Tifa stepped up first, no surprise there.

"You know this wouldn't be fun without me!" Zack declared as he punched Cloud's shoulder, earning a smile.

"Someone's gotta keep you guys out of trouble."

Aeris, Cid, and I all stepped up along with Cait Sith.

"I'm keeping a roster on who gets to kick your butt if you get too down on yourself," I informed him.

"Sign me up!" Cid laughed while Aeris slapped my arm.

"In that case, I'm goin too!" Barret stepped up with a laugh followed by a silent Kunsel.

Vincent nor Red said anything as they also stepped up but Yuffie was immediately jumping up.

"I can't deny you the unstoppable skills of the Single White Rose of Wutai!"

The path out of the Forgotten Capital was smooth enough and soon we had left the city behind. Our first obstacle came in the form of the giant shell which proved to be at the end of the valley the Cetra Capital had been built in.

Yuffie had actually laughed at the sight of the shell even as most of us groaned.

"Well, no reason to drag this out," Zack called as he grabbed Aeris and easily bounced up the structure to where the floor of the shell began. He was followed by Yuffie, Tifa, Cloud, Kunsel, and Vincent. The rest of us had to climb at a much more sedate pace, being mindful of the others as we clambered up. Along the way Cid noticed an oddly straight looking branch and grabbed it only to discover that it was a wicked looking spear.

"Alright! This is better'n what I got!"

Leaping across the final spike to the ledge proved to be the hardest part for me and I almost fell, barely catching myself on the ledge. I got dragged up by Barret who laughed at my predicament.

"Couldn't chase a SOLDIER boy like the other girls, could'ya?"

"More to life than strength," I responded.

"I know that!"

The tunnel we entered after was lit by a rosy light though the cave was not particularly beautiful. In fact it was just plain hewn stone. There was moisture everywhere and the walls seemed pretty slick.

"Looks like we'll be climbing," Zack called from the front. Instantly there was a loud groan from Barret.

"Or we can see how powerful Rachas's levitation technique is." Kunsel was grinning and a number of the other members turned back to me with expectant looks.

My response was to dig through my pack until I found my equipment gloves that I used when loading and unloading my plane. "Let's get climbing!" I called while pumping a fist and a number of heads fell. "Sorry, but I'm still wiped out from the journey to the Cetra Capital, the prayer for Holy, and the fights after. I could lift maybe one of us halfway."

"Then get me as high as you can!" Barret yelled as he pointed at his gun arm. "I'm a big guy with one arm!"

"And Red has no hands plus he's carrying Cait Sith," I retorted.

"I'll be fine," Red interjected. "Lift Barret so we can keep moving."

I shrugged then called the power. As I lifted Barret, keeping him close to the wall, the sensation I felt from the power was not unlike warm water running over a half healed wound. It wasn't the most pleasant of sensations, but I fulfilled my promise of getting Barret halfway up though I needed to sit down for a few minutes after.

Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel all decided to climb through the crevices to find the most direct path for everyone then so we had a few minutes. They found several sources as well as a Magic Plus materia as well as the most direct route and everyone began to climb the crevices in single file, Aeris and Tifa insisting on going last.

The climb was a bit difficult for though there were plenty of handholds there was also a lot of moisture and slipping was easy. More than once I found myself using one of my knives to get a better grip on areas that had loss dirt. Another thing that I noticed was that the air began to get cooler quite rapidly. I was very happy I had my jacket on but began to wish for more as the temperature continued to fall rapidly.

Ok, I know in the game there are snow fields, but if I have kept proper track of time, it should almost be May. Certainly there wouldn't be snow until we were much closer to Icicle Inn, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong. Upon exiting that cavern we found ourselves facing snow fields. Vast ones. And it was FREEZING!

For the first time since coming to this world, my gloves stayed on my hands as I fished through my pack and yanked out my extra shirt, socks, and the tent. I wasn't the only one either who grabbed extra articles of clothing. Tifa and Yuffie both grabbed tents also while Aeris borrowed an extra shirt and pants from Cloud. Barret was also pulling a tent around his shoulders to guard against the cold.

"You idiots look ridiculous!" Cid crowed through his laughter at our hustle for cover.

"We also have the tents; have fun sleeping in the snow!" Yuffie retorted.

"Fine then, you ladies look great."

"You're going to dig yourself a deeper hole," Red advised.

Cait Sith jumped onto my shoulder then. "Are you not used to the cold?"

I recognized Reeve's pattern of speech instantly and smiled at him before shaking my head. "No, I was born in a warm location and even when I travel to cold places, I'm never there long. What about you?"

"Born and raised in Midgar. So have you seen snow before this?"

"Yeah, I've been snow skiing and ice skating before. It's really pretty right when a light flurry begins. Have you tried either of those?"

"Skiing but I fell more than I skied."

I laughed at the thought of Reeve sitting in the snow, trying to get up, and then slipping all over again. "I'll admit that would make two of us."

Cait Sith chuckled also then Yuffie pulled up next to us, White Cape on and tent worn like a skirt.

"What're you guys laughing about?"

"Winter sports, seems we both have a talent for falling."

"You're laughing about falling?"

"That's how I met Aeris!" Zack called out, earning several laughs and a "Typical" from Cid.

"So falling is good?" Yuffie looked very doubtful.

"Sometimes," Cloud answered, his mood seemed a bit better now.

"Well I never fall!" Yuffie declared.

"I remember you falling when we first met," Cloud stated with a grin.

"And you seem to be falling for a certain SOLDIER," Aeris added.

The banter continued for a while longer, Reeve actually mingling with our group during that time. Finally he dropped the filter so everyone would know that what he was about to announce was serious.

"I'm being followed by the Turks," he announced. "I'm not sure how I'll be able to help you or for how much longer, but currently they think you are still camping somewhere near where the Temple of the Ancients used to be. They've started sweeps of the Northern Continent though to search for the Promised Land, so I will have to report that you have moved on today."

"Thanks for the warning," Kunsel said.

Vincent asked a question then that I bet was burning on everyone's mind. "Why are you staying with Shinra if you agree with AVALANCHE now?"

Cait Sith looked very saddened so I assumed that Reeve was also saddened by what he was about to say.

"No matter how I may feel about Shinra, they are in power right now. If I leave then who will replace me? Both in Urban Development and as the minder of AVALANCHE? What if my replacement decided it was easier to have all of you killed rather than watched? Or what if they didn't have the backbone to stand against some of the darker dealing of Shinra?"

"I understand that," I replied. "Better to be in danger and able to make a difference than away from it and powerless."

"Like flying through a storm because someone needs you to," Cait replied.

Conversation ebbed for a while then food of all things was brought up and we started to compare what cultures made the best food and which ones each of us liked. Seeing Yuffie and Barret almost start and altercation over Wutaian food versus grilled food which Barret apparently loved had made everyone's afternoon.

It was so cold that we moved quickly to try to stay warm that day, and each time we found sizable sticks we broke them up and bundled them along with us. It was far too cold for us to go without a fire tonight.

We stopped as the sun began to dip low on the horizon and the tents were brought a lot closer together than usual. Yuffie had also complained quite loudly over having to give up her tent skirt and for the rest of the evening we were treated to the sight of Yuffie wrapping herself in her sleeping bag and hopping about.

I wasn't allowed to be on watch that night and according to Cloud, we might reach Icicle Inn by tomorrow if we kept the pace we had today. He also warned us that it was going to be an uphill trek so it was unlikely we would make it.

We ate dinner around the fire that night and Kunsel warned us to sleep with our canteens in our sleeping bags so their contents wouldn't freeze.

Everyone aside from Cid who had first watch that night entered their tents as soon as the sun had set as the temperature really began to drop. I shoved my pack into the foot of my sleeping bag then crawled in myself, my canteens tucked in with me. Aside from being woken briefly when Tifa was woken for her watch and then returned from it, I slept through the night peacefully.

The next morning seemed to come too soon and I had to drag myself from my sleeping bag, swearing to myself that the first thing I would be doing in Icicle Inn would be buying a good set of cold weather clothes and climbing gloves. My sneakers weren't going to last in this and boots were going to be a must soon.

The wood we had collected yesterday had been used up during the night so we had a cold start that morning and rushed to get moving again. The day didn't get much better since the sun never came out due to a thick overcast layer. As the gradient of the slope we were climbing grew higher, we pushed ourselves to go faster still as the day wore on. I noted that my breath came in slightly shorter bursts than usual meaning that we were definitely getting some serious altitude. I may be used to being above five thousand feet on a regular basis, but I didn't exercise regularly at altitude in an airplane.

As to be expected, the enhanced people didn't seem to be having any problems and started to have to slow down for those of us who were not so lucky, or unlucky depending on your point of view.

We were all ready to stop as soon as the sun began to set. Once again we had gathered wood during the day as we had walked.

"Guah!" Yuffie announced loudly when we stopped that night, throwing herself on the ground with a groan. She already knew that we were about to take her tent skirt though so she was already in the midst of pulling out her sleeping bag.

I felt ready to join her on the ground after a long and grueling day but forced myself to stay up and clear an area for the tents then filled my canteens with snow and set them near the fire that Zack had started, refilling as necessary so I would have full canteens. My sneakers were thoroughly soaked from melted snow by now so I also peeled those off and set them near the fire. My canteens and shoes weren't the only ones there either.

"We should reach Icicle Inn by noon tomorrow," Cloud announced as everyone tiredly ate dinner that night.

"That long? I thought we were supposed to reach it today!" Yuffie looked a bit miffed.

"We didn't account for the slope of the hills here," Kunsel replied. "We should reach there tomorrow."

"Reeve sent a message that my spare Mog should be there tonight, it will be waiting for us at the inn tomorrow." Cait Sith seemed to jumping with excitement. Reeve hadn't taken control of him today and I was disappointed, but if he could get in trouble with the Turks over that, I preferred that he didn't.

"Well, who wants watch tonight?"

"First!" I called out along with Zack, Barret, and Red. We stared at each other for a moment and then…

"Rock paper scissors!" We all threw our hand signs then and erupted into another argument when we realized we couldn't read Red's. Kunsel ended the feud by having Red tell him what he wanted to throw before each round and throwing it for him.

I didn't win the first watch; I landed the second one. It still struck me as a better watch than the third or fourth would be in this case since the temperature would be at its coldest during those times.

Everyone turned in as was normal that night and I took my turn at watch when Red woke me. It was a long and bitterly cold shift that I spent huddled mostly around the fire while reading the scroll I had gotten at the Temple of Ancients.

I had never built a weapon before and this looked like it would be a challenge even though I wouldn't be making a blade. The weapon would be like a lightsaber in that I would essentially be building a hilt but instead of it having a power cell, I'd power this thing with the energy I drew from the planet. I would also have to build the entire thing alone since it would have to be keyed specially to my energy in order to work. The list of materials included the basic element of the sword and my choices were metal or wood, the main grip of the hilt would be built with this. From there I needed to find out which materia suited me best, master it, and then pulverize it to fill a portion of the hollow interior of the sword. And that was just the start of the list! This was a venture that ordinarily took years to finish and I wasn't going to have that time or freedom!

Groaning as I tucked the scroll away, I glanced up at the sky again and made a face at the clouds then listened to the Planet's voices in this area. They didn't whisper of rain, only of snow, snow that had lasted over a thousand years.

My shift ended with me stuffing a handful of snow into Zack's sleeping bag as a wake-up call.

The next morning was just as cold as ever, possibly worse since we were at altitude.

"And in the forecast for today we have cold and snow," Zack announced that morning as we packed up and started moving again. "Now for a report, we take you live to AVALANCHE for an on-site description!" He pretended to hold a microphone up to everyone then.

Kunsel's response was to blink and look around. "It's cold out here? Oh no!" His gag voice did draw some laughs.

"Can't get a cig to stay lit." Cid's voice was a dead pan and I didn't look forward to going indoors. He would doubtlessly light up in a heartbeat.

Yuffie grunted and glared at Zack, too cold to entertain any humor.

Vincent as usual was silent so Zack made the commentary for him.

"And how's the weather at your location?" He held the pretend mic out to Vincent who gave no answer. "That sounds terrible!" Zack announced a moment later.

Cloud was the one who surprised everyone. When his turn came to report, he said "Cloudy with a chance of snowballs!" and launched one into Zack's face at point-blank range. That got everyone laughing, I'm sure I even heard Vincent chuckle slightly.

_**Shinra**_

A new report had come in from Reeve yesterday declaring that AVALANCHE was on the move again and this time they were heading north again as well. It didn't really matter but it would be annoying if AVALANCHE were to interfere with the search for the Promised Land though convenient if they and Sephiroth could eliminate each other.

Currently his forces were searching the continent and were still a day away from Icicle Inn.

A beep on his phone caught his attention then and he pressed the button to allow his secretary to speak.

"Professor Hojo would like to speak to you Mr. President."

"Alright, send him up," Rufus replied then sat back and waited and organized the papers on his desk.

Hojo crept slowly up the stairs and in spite of himself; Rufus could admit to himself that he had to fight back a shudder. At the scientist had requested the profile folders and reports on the members of AVALANCHE and had swiftly become creepier than ever the more he read on them. His fixation seemed to be the former Turk though he had recently giggled over the reports of what happened at the Temple of the Ancients.

Now as he stared at the scientist, he wondered if it was smart to have allowed the man to return as the Head of Science. The man seemed to have grown slightly more bulky and his skin was patchy.

"What is it you want Hojo?" Rufus attempted to cut straight to the point in the hopes of getting rid of the scientist faster.

The mad man offered a crooked smile, apparently eager to get through this as well.

"I believe I've found a way to track Sephiroth and save you the time of searching the entire continent. It should be ready in three days or so."

"Excellent," Rufus replied and he meant it. This ridiculous game had lasted long enough.

"How much longer will I need to wait to receive my specimens?"

"As soon as we have the Promised Land, we will be eliminating AVALANCHE. You can have whichever ones you like then."

"I still just want the former SOLDIERs and the former Turk."

"Not the Ancients?"

"They are no longer of consequence."

Rufus nodded and the scientist turned and departed.

_**Normal**_

When we entered Icicle Inn at noon that day everyone seemed quite relieved. Zack had done what he could to keep our spirits high but the cold and altitude was draining everyone and I knew it was going to get worse.

"Alright everyone, same deal as always. Get supplies and see if anyone has seen anyone fitting Sephiroth's description pass through." Man, even Kunsel was sounding worn out.

I grabbed Aeris and tugged her along to a nearby shop, Yuffie and Tifa not far behind.

"You are all getting pants," I announced firmly.

"I'm ok with that," Tifa said through chattering teeth.

"But pants aren't sexy!" Yuffie shouted.

"Neither is hypothermia!"

The shop sold mainly ski gear so we all bought coats and three of us bought pants as well.

"Yuffie, you're going to be very cold if you don't," Tifa advised. "It's very cold and we might still be traveling."

"But they're bulky and ugly!" the mini-ninja declared as she stared at the selection of pants. "I won't be a rose in those!"

"You'll be a blue rose without them."

No matter how we argued Yuffie was adamant on the issue of pants. The closest thing she would take were an extra-long set of leg warmers she found that would go up just past her knee.

Boots and gloves were easily purchased without complaint, even Tifa buying a pair. Her reason being that though her fighting gloves did protect her hands from the worst of the cold, they weren't designed to do that.

We talked to other people as we purchased our clothes but all said they had not seen a man fitting Sephiroth's description.

The four of us dashed to the inn once we were done and found the guys were already there and that Vincent had heard about an Ancient having once lived here.

"Really?" Aeris was visibly excited.

"Her name was Ifalna and apparently they believed she was abducted by Shinra some years ago."

Now Aeris's eyes widened visibly, all excitement draining from her face. "My mother?"

"They said her house was right next to the Item shop if you want to visit." Wow, Vincent is a very decent guy it would seem.

Aeris didn't wait to even drop her things in our room, she turned and practically ran out the door, Zack and me following closely.

"What's the rush?" Cait Sith asked as we rushed past him on his new mog.

"Aeris's mother seems to have lived here, we're heading to her house," I replied then glanced over my shoulder. Tifa, Cloud, and Yuffie were following us, Cait Sith falling in with them.

Aeris ran the entire way to the indicated house and stopped short of the door, hesitancy in her stance. She glanced at the six of us that had followed her before reaching out and twisting the knob to open the door.


	34. Chapter 34

Saria: So… tired…

SA: Just write already! You know what you want to.

Zas: Actually, I think she wants chocolate cake.

Saria: CHOCOLATE!

Tori: (groans) I'll make one for her and the reviewers.

zzzzzzzzzz

The house had obviously been abandoned for quite some time if the dust was anything to go by. Thankfully though, an odd chandelier of glowing crystals still lit the room. The room if one paid the machinery no mind was in slight disarray, the type that people unintentionally cause in their day-to-day lives: an open book here, a cup there, little things. And then you began to notice the damage, bullet holes in some of the walls, tables that had been obviously shoved out of the way.

Zack was looking over the machinery while the rest of us spread out through the room. I took the staircase down to where the bedroom should be but instead found myself in a short hallway. Walking to the first doorway I found a bedroom in terrible disarray, like a struggle had happened. Books were scattered all over the floor, an end table overturned, even the bed looked like it had been shoved around.

Tifa entered then and looked at the books that littered the floor.

"Loveless, Tales of the Cetra, Ancient Civilization," she read off. "Strange books for Aeris's mother to have."

"I doubt she was here alone," Cloud called from the hallway. "Tifa, would you come up here? Zack is near useless with technology and I think he's going to break something."

Tifa called back, "I'll be right up," and then gently set down the book she had picked up on the bed before she left.

Exiting the room also, I moved down the hall to the next door which stood wide open. Inside was a crib, a few soft toys, and Aeris. She seemed fixated on the room, moving through it slowly, touching the baby blankets, the toys, and finally stopping at a small table where a simple picture frame stood. She wiped the dust from the glass and stared at the photo.

"Are you ok?" I asked when she began to tear up.

"Oh, Rachas." Aeris hurriedly wipe her eyes and tucked the picture away. "Sorry, did you find something?"

"Not really, but there are some machines upstairs. One of them even looks like a recorder of some sort."

We climbed the stairs and were treated to the sight of Zack being pinned on the floor by Cloud and Tifa had confiscated the Buster sword while Cait Sith tinkered with one of the machines.

"What happened?" Aeris asked.

"Zack got into a fight with the machine. We stopped him from doing anything rash." Cloud's voice was edged with humor despite the fact he managed to keep a straight face.

"I think I've got it!" Cait Sith announced as a screen lit up.

Staring at the old screen, I felt my eyes begin to water. I know that in some regards Gaia is ahead in technology and in many ways they are behind, but why the hell did this thing look like it had been built in the 1950's? Even accounting for 20 years of advancement, this still left about 40 years of difference!

Aeris stared at the green screen that had three choices listed: The Original Crisis, What is "Weapon?", and Confidential. "What are these?"

"I can think of one way to find out," Cait's paw was positioned over what appeared to be a play button but he hesitated and glanced back at Aeris.

Aeris stared at the screen for a moment longer then nodded. "Play "Original Crisis" first."

A man with a dark brown hair wearing a lab coat with a very kind looking face appeared, he was working on the same machine Cait Sith currently worked with. Aeris's mother also appeared and the resemblance was striking. They both had green eyes, long brown hair, and jaw-line.

"Camera's ready!" Professor Gast said then turned to Ifalna. "Then, Ifalna, please tell us about the Cetra."

"2000 years ago our ancestors, the Cetra, heard the cries of the Planet. The first ones to discover the Planet's wound were the Cetra at Knowlespole."

"Tell us Ifalna, where is this land called Knowlespole?"

"Knowlespole refers to this area. The Cetra then began a Planet-reading... It's like having a conversation with the Planet. It said something fell from the sky making a large wound. Thousands of Cetra pulled together, trying to heal the wound. But because of the severity it could only heal itself over many years."

"Do the Ancients, or rather the Cetra, have special powers to heal the planet?"

"No, it's not that kind of power. The lifeforce of all living things on this planet become energy. The Cetra tried desperately to cultivate the land so as not to diminish the needed energy."

"Even here, so close to North Cave, the snow never melts. Is it the Planet's energy gathered here to heal its injury?"

"Yes, the energy that was needed to heal the planet withered away the land... Then the Planet... It tried to persuade the Cetra to leave Knowlespole, but..."

"Ifalna... let's take a break."

"I'm fine... When the Cetra prepared to leave the land they loved... That's when it appeared. It looked like our dead mothers and brothers, showing us specters of our past."

"Who is the person that appeared at North Cave?"

"That's when the one that injured the planet, or the "Crisis from the Sky", as we called him, came... At first he approached as a friend, then deceived them, and finally... Gave them a virus. The Cetra soon went mad, turning into monsters." She fell to the ground.

"Then, just like the ones at Knowlespole, he approached the other Cetra clans, infecting them with the virus."

"You don't look well... let's call it a day."

Cloud had let go of Zack soon after the video began and the other three had joined us around the machine. Now as the video ended there were several moments of silence before Zack turned to Aeris.

"I see where you got your looks."

Tifa on the other hand turned to me. "This "Crisis" and the "Calamity" you've spoken of are the same thing, Jenova right?"

"Yeah," I responded with a nod. So, future problems were alluded to already, namely the virus that Ifalna mentioned, it had to be Geostigma.

"Who's the man?" Cloud asked.

"Maybe it'll be in a later video."

Aeris had been the only one to stay quiet thus far, seeing her mother's image after so long must have been both relieving and upsetting.

"Let's play the next one," Cait Sith turned and pushed the next play button.

"Ifalna, if you could comment on the thing called 'Weapon'?"

"Yes, the one the Professor mistook for a Cetra... was named Jenova. That is the "Crisis from the Sky". The Planet knew it had to destroy Jenova... you see, as long as Jenova exists, the Planet will never be able to fully heal itself."

"Back then, Weapon was a weapon the Planet produced of its own will?"

"Yes, but there is no record of Weapon ever being used. A small number of the surviving Cetra defeated Jenova and confined it. The Planet produced the Weapon, but it was no longer necessary to use it."

"So the Weapon no longer exists on this Planet?"

"Weapon cannot vanish; it remains asleep somewhere in the Planet. Even though Jenova is confined, it can still come back to life at some time. The Planet hasn't even fully healed itself yet. It is still watching Jenova."

"Where is Weapon?"

"I don't know, I can't hear the voice of the Planet that well. Times… have changed... The Planet… is probably watching the situation closely."

"Thank you Ifalna, that will be all for today."

"Well there's some good news," Zack declared as the video went dark. "The Planet is paying attention and it has weapons we can use!"

"I don't think it works like that," Aeris replied. "It sounds more like something the Planet produces when it has no other choice. What are the Confidential files about?"

"Let's see." Cait Sith turned back to the console and started the last video.

"What are you doing prof... I mean honey?" Ifalna could be heard asking.

"I'm thinking of taping it on video, but it's not working right..." Gast replied.

"What are you going to tape? Is there something I haven't mentioned?"

"No, that's not it. I'm going to record my beautiful daughter. And when she's sleeping, her face… looks like an angel."

"First we have to figure out her name. You can make the video later!" Ifalna said.

"I've already decided. If it's a girl, then it'll be Aeris. That's that!" Everyone held their breath at the name Gast mentioned.

"You are so selfish! But it is a good name!" Ifalna giggled. "Yes a good name, considering it came from that forgetful head of yours." The video ended. Glancing over, I saw that Aeris seemed to be fighting back tears.

"I never knew who my father was... Mom always told me he was a wonderful man, kind and humble... I'm happy I get to see who he was." A few tears ran down her face. Cait decided to go ahead and play the last file. This time it had the video working.

"Video again? We just got through taping!"

"Please don't say it that way. It's our lovely daughter, both yours and mine! Don't you want to capture her childhood on videotape?" Gast looked and sounded like a doting father.

"If you keep doting over her like that, she won't grow up to be strong. Aeris is different from the other children. I wonder what dangers await her..."

"Never say that. I will protect you and Aeris no matter what! You and Aeris are my treasures; I will never let you go!"

"I feel so much better darling... If I hadn't met you..." Both got close and were about to embrace when a loud knock was heard.

"Who could that... I was about to... How dare they intrude on our 'private time' together!"

"I will send them away." Ifalna walked to the door only to jump and run back to Gast.

"It's them!"

"I've been searching for you Ifalna. Or should I say, Cetra! Long time no see Professor Gast." Several gasps could be heard as Hojo made his appearance.

"Hojo... How did you know?" Gast gasped.

"Believe me I had to turn over a stone or two to find you... Two years I waited. That's how much I wanted this new sample… Ha, ha, ha!"

"New sample? You don't mean Aeris!" The MP's with Hojo pointed their guns at Gast.

"Aeris? What a nice name… Ha, ha, ha!" Hojo just laughed. Gast shouted at him.

"That's it! I'm severing all ties with Shinra! Hojo, please leave." Suddenly, Ifalna knelt before Hojo.

"Please, Aeris has nothing to do with it! All you want is me, right?" Ifalna pleaded. Hojo shook his head.

"I need all of you for the experiment. You understand don't you, Professor Gast? We can change the future of the Planet!"

"Don't worry Ifalna, I'll take care of this." Gast hugged his wife. Hojo sighed.

"Please don't put up a fight. I don't want any harm to come to my precious sample... Hmmm…" Hojo looked in the direction of the camera. It sent shivers down my spine how it looked like he knew we were watching.

"What a funny looking camera. Guard! Destroy it!" The MP turned and fired and we lost video feed, but the audio was intact.

"Be careful with her!" Hojo laughed as the sounds of struggling could be heard in the background.

"Ifalna! Take Aeris and run!" A single gunshot rang through the speakers and Ifalna's cries could be heard.

"Oh and uh… don't forget the child! Hmm... A video? The Ancients… Weapon? Heh, heh, heh… a mountain of treasure! Thank you Professor… Ha, ha, ha!"

"Graaah!" Zack roared, his rage coming forward in a violent display while Aeris finally burst into tears. Her tears broke his fit and he instantly turned to comfort her.

As a game, this could be viewed in a detached sort of way since Aeris was dead and you couldn't go and chase down Hojo and kill him. Right now I'm barely maintaining my calm and stepping hard on the urge to go Hojo Hunting.

"Hojo really does mess everything up." Cloud looked enraged himself though he was controlling it a lot better than Zack had been. Tifa didn't look any calmer. "He rips families and people apart and calls it science, and Shinra enables him!"

"Let's just get ready to leave tomorrow." Zack sounded very drained then as he offered Aeris his comfort. "And just so you're all aware, all of the paths out of the village aside from the slopes are closed so you each need to find something to use. Cloud and I already got snowboards."

"Alright!" a yell came from the rafters, causing me to jump a bit. There was Yuffie perched on the rafters. "A bed tonight!"

"Red was also given a map of the slopes. I'd suggest everyone take some time to read through it."

We departed the house then and headed back to the inn where we found our things waiting exactly where we had left them and quickly dragged them up the stairs to our rooms. The inn was actually pretty big and wasn't having a lot of traffic right now so I ended up sharing a room with Yuffie.

Realizing that I was going to need to find some form of transportation for myself, I walked back out as soon as I had dumped my clothes. I did want to change, but I would let that wait until after a hot shower and that was going to wait until I had no plans to leave the inn again that day.

Weaving through some of the busier streets of town I tried to weigh my options. I didn't know how to snowboard and wasn't going to break my neck trying to learn tomorrow. On my last attempt at snow skiing I had been fighting a fall over half the time I was standing and found it VERY different from water skiing. A sled was always an option, but what would I do with it after? In the end I opted for a small single person sled made of wood. That sled was useful for carrying the extra supplies I gathered on the way back to the inn.

"Hey Rachas, you seen this crazy map?" Cid called when I entered the inn.

"Not yet," I called back. I somewhat remembered the map on the game and that thing was a little ridiculous, especially if it belonged to an explorer in an environment that he should be familiar with for years.

The map was worse than I ever would have thought possible, and I had seen some pretty bad maps before. There was no scale to it; a tree was as big as an island and almost half the size of a lake. Directional guides were vague at best and the whole map appeared hand drawn.

"Did someone spill coffee on it?" I asked after a moment.

"Probably, but it's the only thing that seems to be available."

Groaning, I grabbed a sheet of paper and copied the map before heading upstairs for a hot shower. Before going to bed that night I pulled out the journal of Lucrecia Crescent for the first time since I had taken it in the Shinra Manor and felt her memories rush through me. Pushing them down, I began to read through the first few pages of the book. While the material was very interesting, you could get the feel that unlike Hojo she intended no harm in her experiments and theories. She authentically thought having Cetra in the world again would be a good thing.

Cloud and Zack glanced over our group the next morning as we walked towards the slopes, doing a final quick inventory of equipment and supplies. Vincent, Zack, Cloud, and Cid all had snowboards. Tifa, Kunsel, and Yuffie each had skis. Aeris, Red, Barret, Cait Sith, and I all had sleds.

"Buncha wusses," Cid declared at the sight of the sleds. "Using those things instead of one of these!" He brandished his snowboard.

"Do you even know how to use that?" Cait Sith asked and I heard the twang that indicated Reeve was in control.

Cid laughed loudly. "How hard can it be?"

"Famous last words. May I have your plane after you break your neck?" I called over.

Cid glared at me. "You're not even a pilot, not taking a risk like this!"

"If I learn to snowboard it won't be in a do or die situation. I only take calculated risks where the reward makes it worthwhile."

"Ergo not a pilot!"

"Not a cowboy pilot!" I responded hotly.

"Back to that now?" Cid demanded as he took a step in my direction.

"Alright you two, we don't need a fight right now." Tifa stepped between us. "Geez, you'd think two pilots would get along well."

"I insist that she's no pilot!" Cid declared, earning a glare from me.

"And I insist that your only skill is doing a subpar job at flying an aircraft!"

"Stop now," Cloud ordered as he pushed us apart then took another step toward the slope.

"Wait!" A man called from behind us. "Don't go down there! It's dangerous."

"We should be just fine," Zack reassured him and the man seemed transfixed by Zack's glowing eyes.

"Ok, I was just trying to advise… Who are those people over there? Looks like trouble."

Everyone turned to see what was going on and a collective groan could be heard from a number of us as a line of blue MPs could be seen coming towards us being led by a blonde woman.

Elena was breathing hard as she skidded to a stop in front of Cloud who had moved to the back of our group.

"You guys…" she attempted to glare at us while still panting from her short sprint. "I won't let you go any farther!"

"What's down there?" Kunsel asked.

"It's a SE-CR-ET. It doesn't really matter! But you really got guts doin my boss in like that!"

"Usually a secret matters," I countered.

"We didn't do that to him," Kunsel added. "It was Sephiroth!"

"Don't think you can fool me you liars!" Elena was visibly red with rage.

"We're not lying, it was Sephiroth." Cloud was standing before Elena now, trying to make her understand.

Elena didn't even consider his words. "Don't even try to act innocent! I'll never forget it!"

"Oh man…" Cloud's look towards Elena was pitying and it seemed to make her even more mad.

"Looks like talking alone won't cut it. You're going to have to feel some pain!"

One of the MPs stepped forward and seemed to do a once over of each of us. "Just you… and me!" Apparently this guy really wasn't in the loop since he was pointing at Cait Sith.

"No! I can handle him." Elena shoved the guard back. "There's no way he can avoid my punch."

Cloud stepped slightly to the then as Elena swung at him, overextending her arm and throwing off her balance as she tumbled down the icy hill.

"Elena!" One of the MPs yelled as they both chased after the Turk as she rolled head-over-heels down a hill amidst the scattered laughter of AVALANCHE.

"Let's not waste time," Red called as he headed up the rise to the slope.

"Well, she gets my vote for funniest Turk," Yuffie said as she gained control of her laughter.

Zack laughed also. "Reno is going to be heartbroken if he ever hears that."

Staring down at the slope that extended far below us, I had to admit that I was glad to have chosen something as safe as a sled. The run started out ok but the slope quickly got very steep. Glancing over, I felt a twinge of self-righteousness to see Cid sweating.

"So… uh… Who goes first?" Barret asked as we all stared down the slope.

Everyone was shifting now, even Zack looked apprehensive over going first on this monster of a mountain.

"Ya sure there's no other way?" Cait Sith asked as he stared down the white slopes, glancing around for any possible trails.

"The villagers said there weren't any," Cloud stated as he stepped forward, taking a deep breath as he did so. "Everyone stay close!" he shouted as he kicked off the top of the hill.

Zack hesitated only a moment before laughing and kicking off after Cloud as did Tifa. The rest of us followed soon after.

We didn't move in any kind of formation aside from follow the Cloud. Several laughs could be heard as we started to speed up, mainly from Yuffie, Zack, Aeris, and me. Red was trying his best to steer his sled using his paws and didn't look to be having a good time but neither was Cid who was having trouble just standing.

Everything went well until the first steep incline. Neither Cid nor Red were capable of braking or slowing down so they went flying down the slope, Cid actually going airborne over a drift of snow.

"Are they ok?" Aeris asked loudly. A string of expletives reached us later, courtesy of Cid's mouth.

"I'd say he's just fine," Kunsel answered with a grimace.

"I'll get them." Vincent leaned forward and gathered speed quickly, shooting after our two wayward members.

The next problem arose when we reached the first intersection. Everyone was so busy trying to pick out the tracks of Red, Cid, and Vincent that no one took charge and called a direction. Thus Cloud, Zack, Barret, Tifa, and Yuffie went left, Aeris, Kunsel, Cait Sith, and I went right.

"Guys, we have a problem!" Kunsel yelled as soon as we noticed the split. "Try to stay close!"

The slopes continued to get steeper and three of us weren't very maneuverable so disaster struck in the form of trees.

"Ahh!" Cait Sith screamed as he hit a snow drift and went flying.

"Keep going, I'll get him!" Kunsel shouted at us before he turned hard, stopping himself rather suddenly.

I still reached for my brake and yanked it only for it to catch a rock and snap. I stared at the broken rod that was formerly my brake in shock then glanced over at Aeris. She saw the rod also and gaped slightly.

"This could be b- AAHHH!" I screamed as I hit a snowdrift this time and flew in a different direction, losing sight of Aeris. I hit the ground hard and skidded away from my sled. Jumping back up, I looked around but saw no one. Maybe I could catch up to them because I was really going to need help to survive the snow.

Turning my sled back upright, I climbed back on and started my descent anew. The end of the trees came quickly and I eagerly tried to spy someone else, but no one was in sight.

The rest of the ride was very rough; without any brakes I had to swerve the sled left and right to try to control my speed and avoid obstacles. Though there were no snowmen for me to worry about avoiding, there were plenty of fallen logs and snowdrifts. Hell, even the half-pipe field of rolling snow boulders proved to be real!

Finally I was moving through the crystal caves. There was hardly any room to maneuver and I was moving at breakneck speeds now, but I really wished I had a camera right then because they were absolutely beautiful. I was so distracted that I didn't see the approach of the end of the cave until I was already flying.

zzzzzzzzzz

Aeris shivered despite the thick layers of clothing she currently wore while just ahead of her Vincent easily shot down the two insect-like monsters that had attempted to attack them. It had been sheer luck running into him after losing Rachas. The former Turk had managed to remain close to her throughout the rest of the course and found her quickly after they had gone flying.

"Let's keep moving."

Vincent's voice surprised her a bit, but she was quick to follow the man.

"Thank you," she stated as she reviewed all he had done for her thus far.

Vincent seemed to stiffen a bit then turned slightly to glance at her. "No problem."

"Do you know which way to go?"

"North."

"Do you think the others are alright?"

Vincent didn't answer immediately. "They should be fine."

zzzzzzzzzz

'This could have been worse,' Cloud thought as he stared at Red. They had landed rather close by to one another, Cloud following Red's howl as he crash landed near a hot spring and his sled skidded to the water. Red hadn't been completely dunked, only a paw got wet in fact, but they had rushed to dry it as much as they could before starting out.

"Do you smell anyone else?" Cloud asked as he tossed away his spare cloth that he'd used to dry Red.

"Not yet, the sulfur of the spring is a bit too strong."

"We should head towards the cabin indicated on the map," Cloud said as he pulled out the brownish paper. "With any luck that is where everyone else is headed."

"Alright then. North isn't it?"

Cloud nodded then rolled up and put away the map to prevent it from being damaged by anything.

zzzzzzzzzz

Tifa sighed and smacked Cid hard upside his head to snap him out of his Fascinated state before he could hurt himself.

"Fucker!" Cid yelled as he grabbed his head. "Where the hell did that snow bitch go?"

"I knocked her out before assisting you." Tifa nodded at where the humanoid monster lay in the snow.

Cid walked over to the ice woman who had dared to cast a confusion spell on him and spat on her. "Serves ya right, ice bitch."

"Did you see where Red and Vincent went?" Tifa asked.

"No, ain't seen Red or Doom and Gloom since the slopes. He came up and was trying to help the mutt slow down while yelling at me to sit down. Then we got separated at a fork in the path."

Tifa groaned then picked through her things for a compass.

"So, where to from here?"

"We head north and hopefully run into the others."

Hopefully? Well shit. Might as well get going though," Cid said as he set off right as Tifa pulled out her compass and checked the direction. Surprisingly he was headed in the right direction.

zzzzzzzzzz

"Hey! You're going the wrong way!"

Barret groaned at the voice that shouted at him. "What'er ya talkin 'bout? I'm headin north!"

"But there is a hot spring in that direction!" Yuffie bounced excitedly from her perch on the tree. "And I see Cloud and Red!"

"Let's go!" Barret took off in the indicated direction.

zzzzzzzzzz

"Thank you for helping me back there," Cait Sith said as he brushed himself off and jumped back onto his mog.

Kunsel shrugged as he glanced around at their surroundings. The partially frozen lake they had landed next to was indicated on the map if he remembered right, so climbing the slope should be easy enough.

"Quite the fall we just had, do you need a moment?"

Cait Sith shook his head. "I'm just fine. Probably best that we start moving right away."

"Yeah, temperature is well below freezing and some of us aren't equipped for this weather."

"Would an ice ring help?"

"No, that would just prevent someone from getting hurt by a magical ice attack. It is sheer cold that would do us in here. So, which way…"

"North to reach the cabin indicated on the map."

"Ok… North it is." Kunsel glanced back at the lake. "We'll have to skirt the lake to go that way."

zzzzzzzzzzz

Cold… It was very cold. That was what roused me. Wiping at my eyes, I managed to force myself upright then stumbled to my feet. Nothing hurt, but there was a bit of a deep ache in my body. Turning slightly, I glared at the white landscape, wondering how I ever found these sorts of scenes pretty.

The remains of my sled were scattered about and for no reason I gathered some of the pieces and strapped them to my pack. Maybe I could demand a refund for the sled breaking.

I was near a dead tree and a narrow stretch of water with a narrow bridge crossing it. Pulling out the map copy, I found that there was a pretty fair distance to go before I'd reach the cabin. To top off the problem, I had no clue where anyone was!

The idea of yelling was quickly scrapped when I saw two of the insect-like monsters scurry through the trees. Not hesitating to see if they had noticed me, I rushed over the bridge and found the trail leading to the next area.

At some point while heading uphill, an inhuman screech sounded behind me. Glancing back, one of those mutant centipedes was charging up the hill at me.

"Of all the…" I fired a high powered bolt spell at the centipede, frying it instantly.

"Ha! I did find someone!"

Whirling around, I saw Zack standing just over the rise that I was climbing a moment ago.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine," I called back as I continued up the hill.

"Had a little run-in with one of those suckers myself. It bit my arm and I'm out of antidote. Got any?"

"Zack," I groaned as I pulled out my Heal and cast Poisona and followed that up with a Cure. "Why were you headed this way anyway?"

"I was looking for everyone else. Are you alone?"

"Yeah, and we should probably head to the cabin on the north end of the slopes, it's probably where everyone will head."

"Have you seen Aeris?" he asked as me started moving again.

"We got separated on the slopes after my brake broke."

We were silent for a few minutes longer as we continued to trek up the hill, following the directions of my makeshift map as well as we could. It was kind of weird actually; we really hadn't been alone for a long time, not since Cloud woke up actually.

"Who are you anyway?"

I blinked at Zack's question and stared at him. "What?"

"Who are you? You don't say anything about yourself until we come across it ourselves. Your heritage, your powers. And you once said that teams should be forthcoming."

"Zack, this isn't the time for this," I dismissed.

"Then when will it be? How can I trust you after some of what you've done? Even going so far as forcing me to forget about telling you about Banora."

"What do you want? An apology?"

"How about an explanation? Why are you like this? What happened?"

"How about this: I'm an obsessive-compulsive over-achiever with an IQ in excess of 140. I'm hard on myself when I can't achieve something I set out to do but refuse to change my goals."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?" I demanded, irritation finally setting.

Zack hesitated then finally asked. "Back when I first thought my parents might be in danger and we got into that argument, you defended your love of your grandfather but didn't bother with your parents… Come to think of it you never mention them. Why?"

The temptation to use the Jedi Mind Trick to force Zack to drop this particular issue was overwhelming. But that would have been abusive and if Zack ever found out, he really wouldn't ever trust me again.

"I still can't figure out why you're like this, I mean your parents are always your parents!"

"My parents weren't like yours," was my response.

"What do you mean?"

I sighed then wondered how I should word what I was about to say then decided to just say it as simply as possible. "They called me a disappointment."

"What?"

"A disappointment."

"Why would they call you that?"

I glared slightly at the surrounding landscape then took a deep breath. "They had a plan for me: I'd go to school, start an appropriate career, marry a man they approved of, and then become a home builder. I didn't agree."

"So you had a disagreement?"

"I started an engineering degree and though they didn't approve, they decided they could live with that. That arrangement went out the window when I announced intent to become a pilot."

"They can't still be mad-" Zack cut off then and murmured, "Banora…"

I shrugged. "I won't meet them as long as I'm part of this world, and we weren't close to start with. As proof of that, I was disowned not even a week later."

Silence fell again and after a while we began to hear the sound of water rushing by. Glancing up, we saw a deep, narrow ditch ahead of us that had a river running through it. A quick check of the map showed us to be on course so we turned a bit more of a northern direction and continued towards the cabin. As we crested the hill the wind really began to pick up and snow began to fall.

"Geez!" I yelped as I attempted to yank my jacket up to cover my face.

Zack yelped also, his arms crossing in the driving snow. "Man this is cold!"

zzzzzzzzzz

Cloud and Red were walking through the snow fields now, the biting wind cutting through their clothes and fur. To make matters worse, the winds kept changing directions on them, confusing their sense of direction. It was so cold that Red had declared he couldn't smell anymore.

"If we stay out in this much longer, we're the ones who will need rescuing." Red had to shout to be heard over the roaring wind.

"I realize that!" Cloud called back as he clapped his hands, trying to force some feeling back into them. Reaching back into his pack, he grabbed another of the markers they were using to hopefully alert anyone who might be following them of which direction they had gone. He could barely see the last one so now was the time to set it.

"Do you see anything?" Red was just barely ahead of him, but Cloud hoped that he was seeing something.

"No, but I hear a whistling, like the wind passing over the mouth of a cave!" Red's shout was excited and Cloud eagerly pushed forward also.

There was definitely a cave ahead of them; Cloud was just starting to make out the outline of it. He set one more marker before entering the cave with Red.

It wasn't much warmer inside the cave than out, but they were out of the wind at least.

"Well, we have an opportunity to warm up and let some of the others catch up before continuing," Red remarked as they took in the cave.

Cloud nodded as he stared at the ice cave, disappointed that the entire place was ice. There was nothing else here.

"Let's move a bit deeper, away from the mouth."

"Good idea." Red led the way back a couple steps before stopping. "There's something here."

"What?" Cloud asked as he pulled out his sword.

"I smell something else in this cave."

Cautiously, Cloud stepped past his friend and moved deeper into the cave, turning a dark corner before he saw a huddled figure.

"Hey, you ok?" he called out.

The figure gave no response, didn't move at all in fact.

"Hey!"

"Still no response and Cloud took another step closer and was finally able to make out the figure of a woman. She was completely blue from head to toe, her figure stiff. So still… too still.

"I think we found someone who got lost." Cloud told Red as he reached down to check for a pulse.

The body gave a jerk as his hand drew close, head coming up and her nostrils flaring.

"Good, you're alive," Cloud said as the woman stood.

Her eyes caught his then, cold and hard as ice. "You got a lot of nerve trying to touch me with the same dirty hands that touched that filthy hot spring! I'll never forgive you!" The voice was colder than the storm outside and Cloud jumped back out of reflex right as she breathed out an icy breath.

"It's an ice monster!" Red yelled as he rushed forward and cast Fire on the monster, causing her to flinch slightly and scream.

"I can tell!" Cloud brought his sword to bear as he replied.

The ice woman stared at them, her icy eyes filled with hatred. Then her hand moved through her hair, her stance a mockery of an attempt at seduction. Cloud felt nothing but a glance over at revealed his friend to be staggering slightly, no longer focusing on their foe.

"Red! Focus!" he called but found his yell drew Red's attention onto him. Cloud yelled as he jumped back, narrowly avoiding a strike by Red only for an ice spell to hit him. Shaking it off as quickly as he could, yet again he had to dodge an attack by Red, this time being aware of the snow woman's next spell.

She glowered at him when he barely dodged her icy breath then her hand came up to her hair again.

All around him the world wavered and tilted. He couldn't tell what anything was or who/what he was himself. He was holding something though, and there was something he had been trying to defeat…

A sharp pain brought Cloud back to reality with a cry and he kicked, trying to dislodge Red from his leg. As he did this, an ice spell came at him again and he felt his arm go numb due to cold.

A yell sounded behind him and a roar of gunfire could be heard. Turning his head he saw Barret standing in the center of the turn to reach this area, a shivering Yuffie right beside him.

"Cloud!" Yuffie yelled as she hurled her shuriken. Her aim was skewed because of her shivering and the shuriken went wide of whatever her target was, clattering off a wall.

Not delaying a moment longer, Cloud slapped Red's head, simultaneously curing him of the confusion and freeing himself.

"What?" Red was alert a moment later then focused angrily on the monster that had placed such a spell on him. His charge overtook Cloud's own and he clamped onto the leg of the "woman" angrily, holding her still as Cloud slashed across her torso.

The snow witch screamed and raised an arm which was chopped off by Cloud's next swipe.

Both Red and Cloud disengaged when she exhaled yet again and launched another ice attack. The attack was cut short though when Yuffie who had to sneak behind the ice monster to retrieve her shuriken, planted it deeply into the snow witch's head.

"Yeah! Yuffie wins!" Yuffie shouted as she jumped, slipped, and fell on the ice. She was so distracted that she didn't notice the materia that the monster choked out, spitting it at Red's feet.

zzzzzzzzzz

This place was terrible, simple as that. Several minutes after starting across the snowy fields, Zack had declared that he saw something and went running up to it. That something was a marker and we saw another in the distance. On an unspoken agreement we decided to follow the markers.

The wind was a terrible thing and I seriously regretted not getting a scarf or a ski mask. My lips were chapped and bleeding and the cold slipping through my clothes. I was seriously shivering as well, barely able to keep walking as the temperature seemed to continue to drop. Breathing was short and rapid… Weren't those signs of mild hypothermia?

"Do you need some help?" Zack asked from beside me and I immediately shook my head. If I was really becoming hypothermic, the last thing I needed to do was stop moving and let my body cool down.

"It's very… cold," I managed to drag out between breaths.

"Yeah."

"When we are… out of here… I'm gonna buy… the villa in Costa… Del Sol and… demand a… mandatory vacation for… everyone."

"You do that and I will love you forever."

"Do you see… anything?"

"Nope, just the next flag."

"Hear anyone?"

"Nope."

One foot forward, other foot forward. First foot forward, second foot forward. My eyes were on the ground to watch my steps now and for a moment I considered removing my gloves to check my fingertips but discarded the idea as stupid: my hands were already becoming slightly numb, I was not going to risk exposing them to the cold.

Zack seemed to be just fine, stupid mako enhancements. There were moments that this world seemed obscenely unfair and this was one of them. Why the hell could Zack run around in a sleeveless uniform and he seems just fine and I was in almost full ski gear and bordering on hypothermia?

A stumble interrupted my thoughts and I had to focus to remain standing. Zack was by me a moment later, his arm going over my shoulders.

"Not used to this sort of thing, are you?"

"No…"

"Well, good news is there's a cave right in front of us!"

Forcing my head up, I groaned when I realized that at best we were halfway across the field. I really needed to warm up though and this ice cave was our only shelter.

Zack helped me into the cave and we moved back, away from the entrance right as a yell of "Yuffie wins!" rang through the air. Zack and I glanced at each other before walking around the turn and finding ourselves staring at Barret's back!

"Hey guys!" Zack called.

I got the pleasure of seeing Barret jump and yell as he swerved around and Red turning to face us with a materia in his mouth.

"Looks like the markers are working!" Cloud said with a smile.

"I'll say!" Yuffie was stumbling a little and her lips were blue. "We saw you guys at the hot spring and ran after you but would have lost you in that storm if not for those markers!"

"Looks like we have several people who need to warm up before we go anywhere," Red said after he tucked the materia into his pouch. "Too bad we don't have anything to make a fire with."

Zack spied the remains of my sled then. "I think we may have gotten lucky!"


	35. Chapter 35

Saria: (groans)

Tori: You got sick?

Saria: (moans)

SA: No excuse! (throws laptop onto the bed)

Zas: Slave driver…

zzzzzzzzzz

The fire that was made from the remains of my sled wasn't big and it didn't last long, but it served the purpose of helping to warm those of us in the cave.

"How much longer is this storm going to last?" Yuffie whined at one point when we checked to see if conditions had gotten any better.

"Probably a seasonal occurrence and will last for months," Red advised, earning groans from all of us.

Although the sun hadn't come out that day, we did notice when night began to fall and all of us agreed it was better to stay in the cave than attempt to push forward in sub-zero temperatures at night.

"How do you think the others are doing?" Cloud asked that night as each of us wrapped ourselves in our respective sleeping bags and piled together with blankets thrown over our pile.

"I'm surprised they're not here," I responded as I began to bite my lip. This wasn't a game; you wouldn't be automatically saved if you got too cold. Had the others met up or were they alone? Was Aeris ok? Cait Sith? Not knowing was killing me.

Zack reached over then and squeezed Cloud's shoulder. "I'm sure they're just fine. Probably already waiting for us at the cabin. Tifa is plenty tough, Cait Sith is a robot, Kunsel is a SOLDIER, and Vincent a former Turk. Plus Cid's a pilot so he should be good at navigation, how else do they get through clouds?"

"It's called 'dead-reckoning' Zack," I informed him, not missing the fact he didn't mention Aeris.

Barret laughed. "Cheery name."

"Flying still seems so unnatural," Yuffie groaned, slightly green at just the thought.

"It's natural enough to me."

"You're weird."

"No, I'm passionate." Ok, we'll be getting an airship soon and Yuffie was neither cured of motion sickness nor did I get any sort of remedy or distraction such as gum. Sorry Yuffie, but it seems like you may have to deal with that for a while. Or I could finally test out my theory that Esuna might cure motion sickness.

"Hey, Rachas, could you ask the Planet if Ae-everyone else is safe?"

"Sure." Leaning back into our dog pile, I closed my eyes and focused on our absent friends. They proved to be easy enough to find, all of them had just made it to the cabin. Aeris was sitting in a room covered in blankets with Tifa and a shivering Cid. Vincent, Cait Sith, and Kunsel were in the front room with the man who owned the cabin.

"Any sign of them?" Kunsel's voice was warbled to me, but understandable.

"None."

"Should we search for them?" Reeve was in control, I could tell even now.

"At night?" the old man spoke up now. "You'll need saving if you go out there."

Aeris must have felt my presence then since she came into the front room, her eyes roaming around. "Do you guys sense something?"

Vincent instantly seemed more alert, glancing around also before going very still. "Yes, but not physically."

'Aeris,' I mentally called and the woman went stiff.

'Rachas?' the answering call was a bit weak.

'I'm with everyone else, we're fine for now.'

'Are you sure?'

'We've taken shelter in a cave; we'll set out in the morning.'

'Alright, I guess we'll see you then.'

Pulling back to my own body then, I opened my eyes and found myself staring at five eager faces.

"Everyone is ok, they're at the cabin."

"Everyone? Tifa and Aeris? All of them?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, I even sent a message to Aeris to let her know we're all doing well. She should pass it along and put most of their fears to ease."

Zack and Cloud both visibly breathed easier knowing Tifa and Aeris were ok while Yuffie looked thoughtful at the notion that I could send messages to others.

"Could you let me talk to Kunsel?" she finally asked.

"I don't think it works like that," I informed her. "I've never heard of channeling another's thoughts."

Yuffie huffed and buried herself back into her sleeping bag and squirmed deeper into our pile.

"So, any volunteers for watch tonight?"

"In this storm I doubt we'll have any visitors to worry about." Red's response drew relief from everyone for although some of us didn't show it, we were all exhausted from the cold.

"What about visitors for that snow bitch?" Barret asked gruffly.

"I'll take first watch!" Zack volunteered.

"I'll take a watch if I don't have to leave the pile," I called.

We settled that night with the agreement that everyone would a watch of one hour twenty minutes so we could all maximize our rest and still not be defenseless.

It was very cold outside of that pile we created, though six bodies with sleeping bags under a blanket/tarp didn't warm things up as much as one would think. We were warm enough to sleep and take our watch at our turns, but it was still not comfortable.

The next morning was the same as yesterday and just like yesterday it was impossible to enjoy the voices of the Planet as we finally left the cave and started across the fields again. One of Cloud's markers was still in place so we used that as a marker as our little group of six trekked single file onward. Red was in the lead followed by Cloud, Yuffie, Barret, me, and Zack.

There were moments when the snow was so thick I could barely see Barret and there were moments when it settled enough that Red could be seen. The wind roared so loudly that every time we had a message it had to be passed along by word of mouth, yelling from one person to the next. It was a relief when Red sent a message back that he had someone's scent after Zack asked his fifth consecutive "Do you see anything?"

Three hours after we set out on this snow field the wind and snow finally died down enough for us to see the cabin, which we were all of five hundred feet from. The line broke down instantly, all of us rushing to the door of what looked like a slice of paradise.

We piled into the house eagerly, surprising Tifa, and old man, and Kunsel who were sitting in this front room. Vincent was there too but if he was surprised he didn't show it.

"We're here!" Zack called out as Yuffie ran up and hugged Kunsel.

Aeris came out of the backroom a moment later, jumping up and hugging Zack then giving me a quick hug. Cait Sith came out next and surprised me by jumping up to my shoulders and hugging me.

"You're safe!" Reeve must have been worried again because once again he was in control of Cait Sith.

"Is something wrong Reeve?"

My question caused the knee-jerk reaction of everyone in the room turning to stare at us.

"Just worried is all."

The old man who owned the cabin appeared then. He looked to be in his early sixties, his face lined and weathered from years and harsh weather though his form indicated that he was in very good shape.

"You may use my cabin to rest up some before heading out. I was briefing your friends about climbing the cliffs and what trails I know of."

"Thanks," Zack said before turning to the rest of us. "Well, we're all here now, so let's rest an hour and let those of us who just got here warm up before pushing onward."

"I'd suggest using the next room over. There are blankets and a fire there," Kunsel stated as he gave Yuffie a quick push towards the door.

"Alright!" Barret was the first to go barreling through the door followed by me still carrying Cait Sith, his mog following.

Cid was in the next room over, looking rather glum and wearing a thick fur lined coat.

"So, ya'll made it here too!" Cid said as we trooped in. "Pretty cold out there and the old guy won't let me smoke in here!"

"So, how did your snowboarding lesson go?" I asked nonchalantly.

Cid glared rather darkly. "Should've gotten some tips from some of those snowboarders at the shop."

Barret laughed loudly as I rolled my eyes and took a seat next to the fireplace.

"How're things on your end?" I asked Cait/Reeve, unsure of how much of anything could have changed.

"The Turks are still watching me and the President has declared he will be going on a trip. He's scheduled to leave in a few hours. How was your night?"

"Very cold. And at some point I promised Zack a Costa Del Sol vacation. The night in the cave didn't help though I'll admit that it was the most interesting camp-out I've ever been on."

Cait/Reeve seemed to laugh then as well. "I've not gone camping since I was young and they were never the adventures that you seem to have."

"May you'll need to join us sometime then, once this is all over."

"Hmm… A Shinra Exec on a camping trip with us…" Barret's eyes had a bit of a sadistic gleam to them. "How's my daughter doing?"

There was a pause as I'm sure Reeve looked around for files on her. "She's actually doing quite well. I sent a back-up unit to watch out for her and Mrs. Gainsborough, Jessie, and Wedge. According to a recent report they made cookies yesterday. If you stay anywhere for a few days or can give me some advance notice, then I can have some pictures sent to you."

Barret visibly relaxed and even wore a half-smile now at the prospect of pictures of his daughter.

"Not too bad a guy, for Shinra."

Yuffie came in a minute later and parked herself next to the fire as well. "The old guy is going to lend us some gear though it seems he doesn't have enough for everyone."

"Does he hav'a coat to spare?" Barret asked and Yuffie shrugged.

"Thought you might want one." The old guy came through the door then, an enormous coat under one arm. "You'll still be walking back after your climb so you'll likely wish you had one."

"Thanks." Barret accepted the coat and just barely managed to squeeze into it after temporarily removing his prosthetic gun arm.

About thirty minutes later we all left through the front door, thanking the old climber for his kindness. As we began the final part of the climb to the North Crater, Barret glanced around while we were still in the vicinity of the cabin.

"Ya know what?"

"What?" Cid asked as he shoved a cigarette into his mouth and lit up.

"Seein' a place like this like this makes you realize just how awesome nature is. But if anyone told me to live here, I'd tell them to… ya know…"

Zack laughed as did several others then, Cait Sith included since Reeve had departed a few minutes ago. "I think we know what you mean."

"If I had to live here, I'd change things around 'n' make it better. Guess the total opposite of this would be… Midgar."

"Wouldn't be too sure of that," Zack responded. "Midgar still has plenty of monsters and can be a jungle on its own, look no further than Hojo and the slums."

"My point is that when you think about it, Shinra don't seem too bad… Uuuurgh! What am I sayin? The Shinra? Not bad?" Barret looked very angry at himself for his slip up.

"Maybe you mean those who want to make things better within the company aren't bad," Kunsel offered. "Don't forget some of us were in Shinra and our intents were to help people."

"Some are still in Shinra with similar goals," I pointed out.

Barret sighed after a moment and hung his head slightly. "I just been viewin anything Shinra as bad so long, it's hard to remember there are individual people in there."

"Yeah, like the guy who gave me the phone numbers so I could spam the SOLDIERs and executives some years ago!" Yuffie was grinning in a beyond mischievous manner. Barret and Tifa on the other hand roared with laughter.

"It wasn't that funny!" Zack argued. "Because of her I got assigned some of the lamest missions you'd ever believe and wound up facing a Summon without a summoner!" If possible Barret and Tifa laughed harder than ever, while several of the rest of us also started to laugh. I remembered that particular Crisis Core mission and thought it was a total hoot when Zack gets to the end of the dungeon, opens the chest, and promptly shouts for Yuffie to run while he does the same.

Though he didn't have much, Holzoff, which Kunsel stated was the old man's name, had been able to spare not only the coats for Cid and Barret but had also given us two lengths of rope and some wood for a fire if we needed to stop to warm up along the way. Yuffie had apparently been offered pants but still refused them, declaring them not to be sexy.

Those ropes proved to be life savers when we reached the cliffs, both Cloud and Zack climbing ahead, tying them off on a ledge when they reached one, and half of us climbing up the rope. Kunsel carried Red and Cait's mog could carry him up.

The climb even with the rope helping was still a bit of an agonizing experience. Though the trip had changed many things about me, physically I was still not a superwoman. Climbing with the wind blowing at my back and ice under my gloved fingers wasn't easy though it was exhilarating. My heart raced in excitement and every so often I had to glance at the ground. At least the wind wasn't as bad as it had been on the plains.

By these means we quickly reached the first cave system and entered the ice caverns.

The entire structure was filled with light that shined through the thick icy walls and bounced from surface to surface. It was bright, beautiful, and everything seemed to glisten.

I nudged Barret with a grin. "So, still think man's intervention is always necessary?" He gave me a firm smack on my shoulder for my comment.

Our enjoyment of the area came crashing down pretty harshly after our third encounter with the yellow penguins and the toxic slugs. Aeris and I were almost continuously casting Cure and Esuna during those fights though we did gather a fair number of valuable monster parts and gil. We also found another Ribbon; this one was given to Red.

After a bit of wandering we reached the dead end due to ice skewers.

"We either need to turn around or cut through those," Zack stated after a moment.

"How about melting with a fire?"

"We might melt more than just the spikes." Kunsel responded to Yuffie's suggestion.

"What about that?" Cloud was staring up at a boulder that was just barely visible on the top tier of the ice paths. "We could probably break the ice if we dropped that on it."

"Great idea!" Zack cheered then glanced around before attempting to scale the ice wall and promptly slid down the slick surface. "So… how do we get it?"

I glanced at Aeris and smiled. "Think you're ready for some training?"

Aeris caught my drift instantly and smiled herself. "Would all of you back up a few steps?"

"Whoa whoa! This is different than a few pebbles!" Cid was the voice of this objection.

"We don't have to lift it, just roll it," I replied as I focused on the boulder and tugged, Aeris joining me a moment later. Her presence was significantly stronger than it had been previously so she was definitely growing stronger.

The boulder made a loud groaning noise as it began to roll, the rough surface scraping loudly on the otherwise smooth ice. I stopped pulling the moment it dropped down the side to the second level and grabbed Aeris's hand, pulling her back slightly as the boulder disappeared into a cave.

"Great! Now we lost the boulder!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"No we didn't!" Red was staring at the tunnel beyond the ice where the noise of a large rolling rock was just beginning to grow.

The boulder exploded out of the tunnel with near incredible speed then and slammed into the ice formation hard, cracking and shattering most of it before bouncing off the edge of the walkway due to one particularly thick piece that deflected it to the side.

Barret whistled loudly at the mostly clear path while Zack stepped forward and cleared a bit of the debris away.

"That's one way to get things done."

"Coulda used you two on a site!" Barret declared. "Coulda turned ya into some great miners!"

"Thanks?" I offered, uncertain whether I should be insulted or flattered at being told I'd make a good miner.

"Thank you!" Aeris at least seemed positive and enthusiastic at Barret's comment.

"Let's go!" Zack called, the way mostly cleared.

The boulder had cleared most of the ice blocking the path but had left a number of sharp splinters and ice dust that made the floor rather slick. We had to go through the new opening in the ice one at a time and carefully at that, one misstep and you'd either slip or get a nasty gash in your leg.

Moving through the tunnel just beyond where the ice had been we were able to collect more gil and monster parts due to the fact that the boulder had crushed two more of the yellow penguins and what looked to be the Mt. Nibel monster's ugly little cousin.

Soon enough we found ourselves back out in the wind with Zack and Cloud repeating the process of climbing the face of the cliff, lowering ropes, and the rest of us climbing up as well. Surprisingly, the wind didn't seem to be as bad as it had been previously so the climb was easier than the one previous.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me!" Cid yelled when we entered the next chamber and found two entrances, one blocked by a large, cold pool of water with various other pools and breaks in the ice in the area.

"Any volunteers to jump?" All eyes were instantly on Zack.

"Not over that!" the former SOLDIER declared. "I'd make it just fine, probably Kunsel and Cloud as well, but what about everyone else?"

"So, one choice then?" Kunsel started towards the unblocked tunnel.

The wind outside still wasn't bad, but it could have been because the area was well sheltered.

"Why the HELL would anyone EVER think that the Promised Land would be somewhere like this?" Barret was glaring out at the snow again.

"Least expected place?" Red offered.

"Promised Land, Shromised Clan!" I scoffed. "This is not even close to how I envision paradise!"

"Do you really not believe in a Promised Land?" Cait Sith's voice piped up.

"Not in this plane of existence! We have what we have and we should do what we can to make the best of it without ruining the Planet!"

"She thinks the Promised Land is heaven," Aeris explained. "That we never reach it in life."

"So Ancients were always searching for their deaths?"

"No, I think that they lived with the hope of going there after they had lived." Tifa was the one who spoke now. "Think of what we found at Aeris's mother's house."

"What did you find?" Red called out.

"Some history about the Cetra," I returned. "It focused specifically on Jenova."

"And we have a dead end," Cloud announced from the front of the group.

"So… we gotta jump that water?" Yuffie didn't look particularly pleased.

"Maybe not…" Red was staring at the icicles looking rather thoughtful. "Maybe we could knock one of those down and form a bridge."

"Good idea!" Zack called.

"Ok, there are four we can reach, split into groups and start trying to knock them down!" Kunsel called and the lot of us broke into groups of three. I ran to the end of the hall, grabbed the elixir, and then began to throw lightning spells at the base of the ice cone.

Throughout the hall was the sound of gunfire and spells being shot off to try to knock the ice loose and when each finally did fall, it created a cacophony of noise.

The jump down wasn't far, only about twelve feet, so naturally everyone jumped to save time. Yuffie grabbed the speed source and then we were back out on another trail, back through the ice cave through one more tunnel, and onto the ledges again.

Having grown a bit tired of having to carry Red; Kunsel insisted that Zack let him climb this time with one of the ropes. Zack relented so this time it was Kunsel and Cloud who climbed then lowered the ropes for the rest of us. It was still bitterly cold and a lot of us, me included, were resorting to a rather strange looking "I'm cold" dance in order to remain warm. It actually reminded me of what Cloud supposedly did in the game while climbing these cliffs in order to keep his temperature up.

Reaching that final cave system was like a breath of fresh air since I was ready for this particular session to be over.

Moments later we were all crammed into the cave and I glanced at my watch, blanching to realize that not even three hours had passed since we had left the cabin. It felt a lot later than just midday!

As we finally settled into the cave I saw that Yuffie and Barret looked about how I felt, more than a little worn out. The day hard been difficult already and it was just going to get worse when Cloud… Hell! Could I even attempt to advert what was to transpire in the crater? Cloud needed this to finally win against Jenova/Sephiroth, but why not try to prevent her from ever getting the materia? Why not volunteer and make a run for it with the Black Materia?

Simple: even if I evaded everyone else, there was no way I'd survive on my own all the way back to Icicle Inn. I was not acclimated to cold weather and would require help. Even if I could make it, Jenova would never give up and I was no match to her brainwashed drone that she passed off as Sephiroth. Then there was Cloud and Zack, would they view me as a traitor? What about Reeve? And Shinra, they'd never give up either. As painful as this was to admit, I was going to have to keep my hands off for now. And kill that blasted Hojo if I had even a glimmer of an opportunity!

A rather loud "thump" jarred me from my thoughts and everyone jumped to their feet, hands immediately on their various weapons. I drew my own sword and stared in the direction the noise had come and felt another "thump" pass through the air and ground.

"Whatever this is, it's big," Zack called and we all spread out to begin building a defense. I checked that my Elemental was equipped in conjunction with Shiva on my armlet and took cover behind a large pillar of ice as everyone either cast defensive spells or took cover also.

A minute passed and the "thumps" came closer, growing louder in the confines of the cave, when finally the two giant heads and body of a dragon appeared. The heads glared at Cloud, Kunsel, and Zack who were in the center of the room before its nostrils flared and the heads turned and glared at various points in the room. Apparently it was aware of us, evidenced by when it glared at both my spot and Yuffie's, who gave a slight "Meep!"

It roared loudly then both heads attacked, launching ice and fire attacks aimed either at the three who were out or at those of us who were hidden.

I ducked down as the first sweep came through, a flaming attack that licked around the side of the ice I was hiding behind. As soon as it had passed though, I checked around the side and upon seeing neither head coming my way, I launched a lightning spell. The moment it hit I ducked back behind my ice shield as the ice head launched an attack. The ice crept around the ice pillar but due to my Elemental I didn't feel any pain.

The roar of a machine sounded from the other side of my barrier and the noise told me Barret had begun an assault. A second gun also began to sound, taking singular shots instead of continuous ones.

Looking out again, I saw Barret duck behind an ice pillar to dodge an ice barrage while Vincent seemed to fly up to the roof to dodge a flame attack.

Cid chose to attack then, flying down towards the ice head, spear poised to strike. Unfortunately the scales were so slick and thick on the dragon that he pretty much scraped the scales and bounced off.

Zack charged the upraised fire head that was still focused on Vincent. The Buster sword scraped at the scaled neck of this one and cut through the thinner, more flexible scales.

"Try to get it on the underside!" he shouted as he retreated from the head only for the entire dragon to swing around and bat at him with its tail. Zack barely dodged under the tail and scrambled to get out of the way of the fire head as it snapped at him.

"Easier said than done!" Cloud shouted as he swiped at the ice head, barely nicking it as well.

With a howl Red appeared from another pillar of ice and latched onto the ice dragon's long neck.

As the fire head turned to attack Red, I cast lightning at the fire head and it struck in conjunction with an ice spell and a bullet. The attacks didn't completely deter the head though and as the dragon lurched around again, the fire head managed to latch onto Red and yanked him off of the ice head then hurled him across the chamber near to where I was.

Reacting on per gut, I reached out with the power and caught Red's fall, bringing him to me behind the ice pillar right as the fire head sent a fire attack at us.

As we crouched behind the pillar, flames licking around us, I used Cure on Red who had several puncture marks due to teeth along his side.

"You ok?" I shouted as the air began to get searing hot.

"I think that monster tore a muscle in my side. It'll take a while to mend even with magic," Red shouted back then assessed the condition of our shield. "This thing won't last longer than another minute."

I could hear the sounds of attack outside of where we were squatting; guns roaring, spells splashing against tough skin, I'm pretty sure I even heard a dynamite explosion. "Why isn't it moving on?"

"The first head seemed to go limp right before I got torn off by the second one," Red replied and I groaned. Typical, a dragon that has a vendetta against the slayer of its brother.

"Do you have a summon…" I stopped when I realized this was a FIRE dragon and I had Shiva, an ICE summon. Concentrating as the temperature continued to rise and the ice pillar shrank to less than a third of its original size, I cast the summon.

The air temperature instantly dropped and the sweat I hadn't even known was forming on my face seemed to freeze. Before us stood the blue skinned nymph that was Shiva and she instantly held her hand out, casting her icy spell.

As Red and I pressed closer as the ice shrank to a quarter of what it had been, the attack swept over us towards the dragon and the flames stopped, but the ice wasn't going to last much longer.

"Let's go!" I yelled and shoved Red ahead of me as we ran to the next pillar over. We never made it.

The dragon didn't care how much damage it seemed to be taking and zeroed in on Red instantly, and the fact he couldn't move too well at the moment was probably just added incentive to continue its attack.

A call through the power caused me to hit the ground instantly, dragging Red down right along with me. Over our heads the flames burst to life.

"Keep moving!" Red yelled and I couldn't help but wonder why no one had finished this damned dragon head yet.

Chancing a glance over my shoulder I had to bite back a curse, the ice dragon head wasn't dead yet! In fact, it looked stronger than ever, weaving around its brother's head, taking the absorbing any ice spells being sent at the other and leaving the fire head to absorb any fire spells. Damn it!

The risk I took to glance back caught up to me then as the stream of fire lowered and the left side of my body seemed to light up in pain!

"AAAHH!" I screamed as I pulled myself behind the ice pillar with Red who instantly started pawing at my Restore materia.

"You need to heal yourself before you go into shock!" he yelled and I dared to glance down at what he meant. From knee to the lower end of my ribcage my clothes were scorched and the skin underneath was a vivid mix of boiled red and burnt black. Red managed to take my Restore then as my head lolled back, shock quickly setting in.

The cool touch of a Cure spell brought me somewhat back to a clear mind and I glanced over to see Red cast the spell again and again, the skin on my side slowly fading to red then pink, then the pale tone I was used to. I also noticed that the fire attacks seemed to have finally ceased.

Another glance out showed that the dragon had chosen to start snapping at attackers again rather than focus on just us. Both heads were still alive.

"Do you have a summon that isn't fire or ice based?" I asked Red, not feeling at all ready to move.

Red turned his head slightly and pulled a red materia from his bag. "I found this after we defeated the ice monster in the cave where you and Zack found us. Would it do?"

I touched the materia and the name "Alexander" sounded through my head. "It's Alexander, Holy-magic. This should do just fine." Focusing hard on the materia, I cast the summon.

The effect was felt instantly by everyone as a gigantic suit of armor appeared next to the pillar Red and I had taken cover behind, causing the ground to shake alarmingly. It cast no spell that I could see, instead what looked to be a laser erupted from the eye slot of the helm and splashed down upon the dragon before it seemed to dance in a manner that reminded me of electricity.

The dragon screamed before one of the heads finally went limp and as Alexander began to fade, Cid jumped up and jammed his spear into the side of its neck and twisted hard. As the dragon snapped at him, he threw what looked to be a stick of dynamite into the mouth of the best then let go of his spear and dashed away.

A moment later a suppressed blast could be heard and the head which I now recognized as belonging to the ice dragon, began to smoke before dropping.

A minute passed where no one moved, then Cloud gently stepped out and nudged one of the heads. When it gave no response he reached down and ripped out Cid's spear.

"Everyone alright?" Tifa called as she stepped out.

"We're fine," Yuffie jumped out, Kunsel close behind her.

Forcing myself up while using the pillar for support, I handed Red his summon back then helped him limp out. "A little crispy but we should be ok."

Aeris rushed over when she saw Red limping and checked him over then gasped at my burnt clothes. "Were you guys hurt when that dragon went on a rampage?"

"No, we were hurt either before or when trying to escape our pillars," I stated matter-of-factly. "I'm fine, Red healed me."

"Rachas healed me as much as she could in turn," Red confirmed for her.

Cid had some burns and cuts that were easily dealt with as did Zack. Cloud had a small gash on one side also. In total it seemed like Red and I had been hurt the worst and we would be just fine given a little time.

"Everyone ready?" Zack asked and he didn't need to ask again.

We all moved through the cave carefully and quickly after that and soon were facing yet another snowy cliff. Unlike the previous climbs, the wind was torturous this time since a good portion of my pants and coat on my left side were missing.

The cold was almost forgotten though when we crested the cliff and saw the amazing sight of the crater and the mako that danced in the center of the windstorm, the wound the Planet was still trying to heal even after 2000 years. Overhead, the aurora borealis shined brightly, the wavering lines a perfect contrast to the harsh and geyser like rushes of mako. It was truly an awe inspiring sight.

"Sugoi…" Yuffie murmured drawing a laugh from me.

"What did she say?" Cait Sith asked from next to me.

"Amazing," I replied with a smile. "Is Reeve going to see this also?"

"I'll be sending video footage of it."

"I'll need of copy of that," Kunsel called out and a number of people also called out their own wish for a copy of this sight.

"Maybe once we're finished with this trip we should have a slide show courtesy of Cait Sith of all our adventures!" Zack's comment was met with a few cheers as we began the long trek downhill into the crater.

"That must be the energy that Sephiroth intends to use to summon Meteor." Red's statement put an instant dampener on everyone's mood.

"If it is, then next time the wound on the Planet won't be so small…" No one was walking after that, everyone was running down the slope then. Zack, Cloud, Kunsel, and Red took an instant lead followed by Vincent, Tifa, Yuffie, and me with Aeris, Cait Sith, Barret, and Cid bringing up the rear.

It was just getting to be mid-afternoon when we reached the edge of the wind wall. We were all exhausted but no one was willing to stop. Instead everyone took a potion and we continued on the path up until the point when we met one of the black caped people.

"Wait!" Tifa yelled as the figure wandered straight up to the edge of the walkway and seemed to throw himself off.

Tifa and Cloud rushed forward and attempted to grab the person's arms but both missed. Spying something glimmering just off to the side, I stepped over and called the materia to my hand and was surprised that it came so easily.

"Neo Bahamut" was whispered in my head and I quickly moved to tuck it into my pack. More whispering from the Planet reached me then and I turned to see Aeris had her eyes closed, apparently she was hearing something as well. After hearing the message, I grinned and turned to the others though I had already known what I was about to say. "Sephiroth hasn't summoned Meteor yet! We could still stop him!"

"How do you know?" Zack demanded as Aeris opened her eyes, a smile on her face as well.

"The Planet is telling us, he hasn't done it yet!"

"Alright! We need to get this finished!" Cloud shouted and everyone looked ready to finally end this fight.

Before we could take even a step further though, a noise filled the air. It was one the Cid and I knew all too well.

"An airship!" Cid exclaimed as we scanned the sky and sure enough there was a large one, the Highwind, circling the area. "They're in my ship!" Cid looked like he was about to be very ill.

_**Midgar**_

Reeve had had a very relaxing day thus far. Rufus had declared he was going on an important business trip and had left, taking Scarlet, Heidegger, and Hojo with him. All three of those "people" had been away for increasing periods of time so he had not thought anything of it.

He had been about to log in and check on Rachas and the rest of the group when an emergency alert came from Cait Sith. Not bothering to even check the files for recent occurrences, he had logged in immediately and found himself in a rather disturbing place. The wind was practically visible and raw mako was erupting everywhere!

"You think that's Shinra?" Barret asked over a roar of what he quickly realized was an airship.

"Has to be!" Cloud yelled, eyes at the sky.

"They gave no indication they were coming here," Reeve announced to them, drawing everyone's attention. "Rufus simply announced a business trip."

"He'll need time to find a landing spot," Kunsel said. "We can still deal with this before he can interfere."

"We'll need to," Rachas called. "Sephiroth could start the summon any moment now!"

_**Normal**_

We had reached the cliff where the wind was at its strongest, gales visible in the cold air.

"We need to wait for a calm moment to jump across." Tifa could just barely be heard over the scream of the wind.

"Gotcha!" Zack yelled right back and we all waited for a moment. I felt consoled with the fact there was no way that the airship could possibly try to land in this. The wind calmed momentarily a moment later and everyone jumped to the next cliff.

That's when we came upon a particularly disturbing sight: a long line of the black robed people were stumbling along the path, some falling down, some falling off the path altogether and into the mako below.

Cloud was the first to run up to one of them. "Are you ok?" he asked as Tifa ran to another of them.

The person Cloud had approached just groaned and fell still, too still. Cloud pulled back the hood revealing a pale and hairless head and felt for a pulse before shaking his head and gently setting the person down.

"It must have taken everything they had to get this far," he murmured as he slid a hand over the person's eyes and closed them.

Tifa also had set the person she was checking down and shook her head. All of them were just too worn out, had gone through too much. More lives ruined for a pointless experiment. We checked the other bodies as we passed them but each and every one of them was dead.

We finally reached the next wall of wind and stared at the jump.

"We can do this easy!" Yuffie declared as she began to run at the gap only for Kunsel to grab her right before a green ripple of air passed in front of us. The scent instantly reminded me of the natural raw mako in Banora, a pleasant, lively scent.

"Mako," I realized and Kunsel nodded.

"Yeah, raw stuff. We need to wait to make sure we cross between the ripples."

It was easy enough for all of us to get across; we jumped across three at a time and then continued further into the crater.

Venturing still farther into the crater, we finally saw Sephiroth, the two surviving black cloaked people were kneeling before him, groaning slightly in their raspy voices.

"This is the end… For all of you!" Sephiroth announced and I instantly heard the screams again, buried deep within the surrounding voices. Those screams became more desperate as the imposter raised its sword and struck the two kneeling figures. I felt my jaw drop slightly; appalled by the brutal act despite knowing it would happen.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud jumped forward, anger evident in his face and voice. "This is the end!"

"You're right. This is the end of this body's usefulness." The voice sounded like Sephiroth's but I could sense Jenova's control now. This avatar was worn out from her use and couldn't continue. The body then seemed to turn black and disappeared.

"Stay alert, he's still around," Vincent ordered.

"Then this may not be the right time to say this, but that wasn't Sephiroth," I finally admitted.

"What do you mean?" Kunsel demanded as we found ourselves shifting into a back-to-back position.

"Jenova has completely crushed his mind except for a small portion that resists her still," I explained. "She's created a false personality to control that body and form, wearing him like a mask."

"So, it's really not Sephiroth?" Zack asked. When I shook my head he actually pumped a fist in the air. "YES! I knew that wasn't the Sephiroth I knew!"

"Maybe not, but he's got his memories and skills," I countered.

"There's a part of him still left? The real Sephiroth?" Vincent demanded.

I nodded. "I hear his screams through the Planet, trapped within his own body."

"So, killing this Sephiroth will free the real one from his nightmare?"

Before I could respond a new voice spoke.

"_Our purpose is to deliver the Black Materia to our master."_ Everyone redoubled their search efforts when we heard the voice.

"Our?" Cloud demanded into the air.

"_Those who carry Jenova's cells…"_

"Master?" Again Cloud was the one to speak as Tifa grabbed his hand.

"_Of course… Sephiroth. Heh heh heh…"_

"Above!" Vincent called and everyone threw themselves forward and to the side as Sephiroth slammed his sword into the ground where a number of us had stood mere moments ago.

I was on the ground, shaking, as I looked up to see Sephiroth walking to a point slightly ahead of our group, Cloud and Zack already back on their feet with Vincent right behind them. Sephiroth gave the three men a smug look but when his eyes turned to me, they burned with utter loathing.

"What?" Tifa was on her feet now and helping Yuffie up as Sephiroth turned back towards our group, his skin already turning into patches of red, purple, and grey as he began to grow into a much taller figure.

"How many times do we have to kill this thing?" Yuffie demanded loudly as she regained her feet.

"At least once more!" Cid responded.

"Three times in one trip!" Barret sounded positively giddy.

Red charged forward first this time, latching onto the monster's shoulder while Kunsel hacked at her base. Vincent and Barret both opened fire while Yuffie threw her shuriken.

The Jenova monster didn't seem to notice the attacks at first then swiped at Red, knocking him aside easily and out of her "eyes" came what seemed to be a bright red light. The light seemed to thicken about Zack and he gave a sudden yell as several rather angry looking burns appeared on his body.

Aeris was already ready to go and was casting Cure even as I dug through my bag for my newest summon. Pulling out Neo-Bahamut I concentrated and pushed my magic into the materia and felt a very noticeable drain. While the summoned dragon formed, I began to poke through my bag for an ether.

"Hah!" Cid yelled as he leaped high then sank his spear deeply into the monster's soft flesh before noticing the shadow that was beginning to form around them. "Wha?" Glancing up he found himself transfixed by an even bigger dragon than what he commanded flying above them… And was that an energy attack forming?

"Get clear!" Tifa shouted as everyone jumped back from the monster as the summon powered up to fire. Cid was barely able to pull his spear free and jump for it before the attack was unleashed, the explosion rocking their rocky perch alarmingly.

"Who the hell summoned that thing?" Barret demanded as the dragon began to fade.

"We'll find out later!" Zack ordered as he stood and pointed at a well-baked looking Jenova. "That attack did some serious damage!"

Jenova retaliated by breathing out what looked to be a stream of red bubbles then, vivid enough that everyone's attention was immediately caught.

"Get cover!" Red managed to shout as he pushed himself behind a rock formation. A moment later when the bubbles popped, it was like seeing lava burst in front of you. The rock formation I had ducked behind began to melt at the spots where it had been hit with some of the stuff. A scream turned my head to Aeris then who was clutching an arm that seemed to be smoking slightly.

Rushing over, I took one of my canteens and poured the contents over her arm to wash away the fluid then cast Cure on the area. The flesh mended nicely but Aeris was still gritting her teeth slightly.

"Still burns?"

"A little," she replied. "Like some of it seeped into my skin."

Thinking quickly of what compounds I knew of that could have the effect I was seeing, I yelled my theory. "That was acid!" I yelled at everyone. "Don't let it touch you!"

"Gotcha!" Barret shouted as he powered up his gun with a large amount of energy and took aim at Jenova before firing.

Cait Sith bounced into view then, a set of dice in the fist of his mog. Uncertain of what he could be planning, I stared as the mog threw them at Jenova and they promptly exploded upon contact.

Jenova was blown back by the force of the blast and Zack appeared then, sword in hand as he cut a large gash across the torso of the monster.

Jenova swung around, attempting to sweep her attacker away with her tail only for a shuriken to make a long cut along her side. The cry that heard was as unearthly as it could be.

Kunsel arrived then and slammed his sword hilt deep into this Jenova's head, ending the fight quickly.

The body once again began to wither but before I could set it ablaze as I had done the previous limbs, it slid off the side of the walkway, leaving behind the Black Materia.

"Jenova's cells..." Cloud contemplated. "So that's what this was all about... the Jenova Reunion." Tifa looked confused while Kunsel looked thoughtful.

"Not Sephiroth? You mean all this time it wasn't Sephiroth we've been after?"

Cloud shook his head. "I'll explain later. Right now the only thing I'm thinking about is beating Sephiroth."

"But Sephiroth is…"

"Jenova," Zack finished for her. "If Rachas is right, it's not really Sephiroth."

Cloud shook his head also. "No, the real Sephiroth is here, just beyond here actually. It's both cruel and wicked. But it's releasing a powerfully strong will from deep within the Planet's wound."

"It's not the real Sephiroth!" I insisted. "He's trapped in his own mind while Jenova uses him as a puppet! You're sensing Jenova!"

Cloud stared at me for a moment then shook his head. Zack walked straight up to the Black Materia and picked it up before turning back to the group.

"We've got the Black Materia back, now we just have to finish this with whatever is beyond here and that'll be the end of this. Then we can go on the Costa Del Sol vacation Rachas promised!" He got a small bit of laughter but everyone was too tense otherwise.

"We better not take it any further," Tifa declared as she stared at the thing. "Why not give it to someone else to hold onto?"

Before I could object, Kunsel spoke up. "It would be best to do that, split us into two groups, one going in and the other to stay here and guard the materia."

Two groups… I had thought that it would just be whoever was standing out here with the materia would be doing it alone or maybe with one or two people, but with five others there was a possibility to actually keep this materia out of there! I could rip down Jenova's illusions and keep everyone from going straight into the trap!

"Alright, Kunsel, who do you suggest goes in with Cloud and me?" Zack asked.

Kunsel looked over everyone and evaluated what he knew of our fighting abilities and materia. I already was certain I'd be chosen to stay out here since I was no fighter and had proven that in just about every battle.

"If you and Cloud are both going in then I'd suggest Vincent, Yuffie, Tifa… and Rachas."

…WHAT?


	36. Chapter 36

Tori: Its official, Saria either has a cold or the flu, nasty ones at that.

Saria: Zzzz…

Zas: She's been asleep for over twelve hours…

Tori: She took some cold medicine and you know how that affects her.

SA: (pulls out a watergun) Wakey wakey…

zzzzzzzzzz

Hold on, time out, did Kunsel just say he thinks I should go inside with Cloud and Zack's group? Is he HIGH?

"I object!" I called immediately. "That doesn't sound like a sound plan; I'm not a very good fighter."

"So drop the kiddy gloves already," Kunsel barked, surprising me and several others. "We all saw you face-off against Sephiroth when you finally did; you are also one of our two principle healers and spellcasters. Between you and Aeris, I think you'll handle whatever is in there better."

"You forget that Jenova wants that materia and can create illusions!" I argued. "Aeris can't see through them yet!"

"We need to take that risk, better the ones who go in have warning of illusions than not!"

"I should be able to smell a fake," Red offered and I didn't believe him.

"If it'll make you feel better, I want Aeris to hold the materia." Zack stepped around me and handed the ominous materia to her before grabbing my upper arm. "We need to get moving if we're going to beat Shinra into this place!"

I wanted to yell back for Aeris not to just blindly follow anyone who came out claiming we needed help but I stopped myself. If they came we still might be able to stop Cloud, but if they didn't then there was no telling what Jenova might do.

_**Shinra**_

Rufus had finally left the Highwind after the pilot found a surprisingly close place to land in the crater. Now he led an entourage through a series of tunnels to what was to be the grounds of his new city, Neo-Midgar. Those present included Scarlet, Heidegger, Hojo, and a number of crew members carrying equipment so they could get some initial readings on the area. Also coming along with them was his ever faithful Dark Nation who had finally recovered from that fight with those beastly men on the Shinra Tower and Rude of the Turks.

The site of the new city looked like it would be amazing! They hadn't even reached the center of this place yet and he was seeing crystallized materia structures that were taller than building!

"How much further?" Scarlet complained from behind him. "My shoes weren't meant for this!"

"Bwah- ha-ha!" Heidegger's annoying laugh bounced off the walls around them. "Can't take a little walk?"

"Shut up, both of you," Rufus ordered as he pressed further, Dark Nation offering a growl at the two.

At least both of the useless people understood he meant business since they shut up quickly.

"We want to get to the center, get our initial readings, and have AVALANCHE dealt with if they try to interfere."

_**Normal**_

My teeth shattered slightly as I followed the other five of the first group through the final wind tunnel towards where Jenova's illusion would greet us. It had already occurred to me that it was quite possible we weren't going to be seeing Nibelheim this time. With Zack having been truthful and told Cloud he was there as an MP then that wasn't going to be a way to truly break them or make them question their existence. Then again…

"Something wrong?" Yuffie asked when she noticed I was lagging a bit.

"I'm just wondering what it is we're going to find."

I know! This entire trip has been crazy!"

A bright light surrounded us suddenly and everyone continued to push forward. The light slowly began to fade and the buildings that were expected of Nibelheim came into view.

"Nibelheim?" Tifa stared around in wonderment and doubt.

"It's an illusion created by Sephiroth!" Cloud insisted.

Zack stared around at the various buildings, "But what for?"

"To confuse us. As long as we know it's an illusion then there's nothing to be afraid of."

"No Cloud, you're wrong." I spoke without thinking. "An illusion can allow him to show you anything and even if you know it's an illusion it can aid in planting doubt."

"Is he here?" The demand came from Vincent whose eyes roved over the area.

A quick listen indicated that the fake Sephiroth was near but still a ways off. "Yeah, but not close."

"Look! Sephiroth!" Yuffie shouted, pointing behind us.

All of us stepped back into defensive positions as the illusion version of a still sane Sephiroth arrived in Nibelheim, none of us relaxing even when we realized that he was just an illusion. Then Zack, Cloud, and the unnamed MP showed up.

"That's us!" Zack exclaimed and pointed at one of the MPs. "That one was you Cloud!"

"_Is that really what you remember?"_ a disembodied voice demanded softly.

"It's just an illusion!" Tifa insisted loudly as the bright light swept over us all again.

This time as the light began to fade the village was in flames and I must admit that this illusion was very convincing. The groans of the dying villagers reached my ears and the heat of the flames licked my skin.

"This is exactly what happened five years ago!" Cloud stared around at the buildings now, his memory reassuring him that this was correct.

"And I'm about to come out of the Shinra mansion," Zack added, continuing the familiar story as his form exited the aforementioned building.

"_Don't you remember it being someone else Cloud?"_ The voice was back again and Sephiroth/Jenova still wasn't making her appearance yet. _"Your memory is wrong though, Zack told the truth. This is the reality of Nibelheim."_

"Cloud, it's perfectly fine to have a faulty memory after what Hojo put you through," I informed him when I saw his doubtful look. "It's a form of escapism, a fantasy where you try to emulate a person you view as strong, sometimes even to the point where you rewrite your own memory with you taking their role."

"More of your psycho-theory?" Yuffie asked.

"Psychology," Vincent informed her for me.

"_How do you know?"_ That horrific voice whispered into my ear and I went rigid as I felt a claw attempt to enter my mind. My initial attempt to block was by bringing up something that couldn't be used, an image of the ground while flying. To my horror, Jenova easily knocked aside the barrier and reached for my knowledge on Zack and Cloud. Calling the power of the Planet to me, I was finally able to force her out of my mind but not before she grabbed at two images in my mind.

"Don't!" I yelled even as the light surrounded all of us again and we were in another burning town. We were in Banora. And neither Cloud nor Tifa were with us though I could still feel their presence. They must still be trapped in the illusion of Nibelheim!

Zack recognized the place instantly and stared around at the scene. Most notable was the burning Banora White that I remembered most from this part of Crisis Core.

"Where are we now?" Yuffie demanded.

"Banora…" Zack stared then rounded on me. "This is what happened."

"I already knew, remember?"

"I knew the trees burned, but I didn't see them like this."

"I did…"

"But you said you weren't there!"

"I wasn't. I saw this."

Zack stared at me then, uncertain of what to think.

"So, you saw this without ever being there?"

"Yeah," I replied as the bright light appeared again. As it faded I began to hear the rain and realized that the last second scene was about to be used. "I need to end this!" I lashed out with the power, trying to rip the illusion apart.

Jenova must have realized I would retaliate like that because the moment the scene began to clear and I could make out Zack's dying form on the ground, I felt myself get shoved hard and darkness surrounded me.

_**Shinra**_

Rufus stared in amazement at the chamber they had just entered. If they instruments were anything to go by, they should be right at the heart of the Promised Land, right on the future site of the headquarters for Shinra in Neo-Midgar. Before him was a sheer wall of pure materia that reached towards the sky with an odd root system overhead. Those roots would have to be cleared away but maybe he should consider leaving the materia where it was, have a sculpture shape it and carve in the Shinra company logo or something like that.

Scarlet appeared a moment later, heels clicking on the rocky ground. She glanced around and saw the wall of materia almost straight away.

"That's amazing!" the Director of Weapons Development declared as she sashayed towards the wall. "It's all materia!"

"The outside is rich with Mako energy. The inside is a treasure trove of materia. This truly is the Promised Land," Rufus allowed himself to smirk as he took in the sight and recognized his achievement. He had managed to find and obtain what his father had wanted so much and it was all his now!

Hojo's nasally voice cut through his joyful musings. "There is no such thing as the Promised Land. It's a legend… An old wives' tale… It's utterly ridiculous."

"Everything's as I imagined it to be. Isn't it splendid?" Rufus stated before turning and giving Hojo a lofty look. "It is that kind of thinking that makes you a second-rate scientist."

A thump was heard then coming from the wall near Scarlet and all turned to find themselves staring at a young blond they all recognized from the reports on AVALANCHE.

_**Normal**_

Pushing up against the wall I was standing by, I opened my eyes to find I was staring at a crystalline wall that wasn't made from ice. Mentally cursing, I reviewed what Jenova had taken from my mind. She had only been interested in what I knew of Cloud and Zack so all information about Earth was untouched and I had blocked her from almost everything before expelling her with the assistance of the Planet with the exception of those two scenes: the burning of Banora and Zack's death.

There was no helping the first, but the second could be passed off as a pure illusion since there was no proof otherwise. Or maybe it was time I admitted my foresight. It would make some of the upcoming events easier to deal with.

"Where did you come from?" a harpy's voice finally caught my attention.

Turning, I had the pleasure of meeting the Shinra party face-to-face before anyone else was here. Glancing around, I had to admit I was confused myself. I had no idea how I had entered this chamber and there didn't appear to be an entrance near me. I did notice a couple of grunts setting up some equipment though and found myself instantly angry.

"What are you doing?" I demanded as I pointed at the machines and the Shinra personnel. "You aren't allowed here!"

"Contrary to what you may think Ancient, we were here first. Thereby, the Promised Land belongs to us." Rufus sounded particularly snotty right now and I wanted to smack him harder than I had ever wanted to smack anyone.

"You're not welcome here!" I growled then found a growling Dark Nation taking a step towards me. I glared at the dog, letting the power of the Planet flow through me without direction. Kunsel had stated I needed to remove the kiddy gloves already and at the moment I agreed wholly.

Dark Nation growled and took another step towards me before freezing suddenly and sniffing the air, its dark eyes going wide. Then the dog's tail tucked under it as it turned and ran for the exit, earning shocked looks and an interested one from Hojo.

"Smart animal, you should follow his lead," I suggested.

"He needs some recurrent training." Rufus was more thickheaded than ever. "You do save us the headache of searching for you and your group if you're all here." Rufus turned then and pointed to one of the men who had just finished setting up the machinery. "Start the survey."

"Don't!" I ordered and lashed out with the power, smashing the machinery and sending it flying into the wall next to Rude. "This is no Promised Land! This is a wound on the Planet and I won't allow you to contaminate it!"

Before anyone else could say or do anything, the ground beneath our feet shook and I turned to find myself staring straight into the eye of Weapon as it blinked from behind the crystalline wall.

"W-what is that?" Scarlet demanded loudly, obviously trying to cover-up her fear.

"Weapon…" Hojo could just barely be heard. "So it really does exist… I didn't believe it."

"What does that mean?" Rufus's voice held thinly disguised anger.

"…Weapon. Monsters created by the Planet-"

"Mobilized when the Planet feels threatened or is on the verge of destruction, eliminating all that threatens it," I finished as I turned back to them.

Hojo offered one of his ugly smiles. "That's what is stated in Professor Gast's report."

Rufus's eyes traveled from Hojo to me then back to Hojo. "I never saw that report. Where is it?"

"Here," Hojo said as he fished around in his lab coat then handed Rufus a folded sheet of paper. "Right here."

"Gathered when he murdered Professor Gast and took his wife and only daughter as specimens!" I shouted angrily and called the paper to me with the power, ripping it out of Rufus's hands before he had even been able to read the opening line.

"You like to keep a lot of things to yourself," Rufus was looking more than a bit disturbed now while Hojo was looking at me with a disgusting amount of interest.

The grunts were trying to reset the equipment I had sent flying earlier so I took ten large steps towards them, half closing the distance between Rufus and me. "I said NO!" I yelled as I lashed out with the power again, re-scattering the equipment.

_**AVALANCHE**_

Aeris stared at the materia that had been entrusted to her by Zack. She had gotten the impression before Rachas had left that the woman had wanted to say something but had chosen not to. She hoped it wasn't anything important.

"I'm sure they're just fine," Barret reassured her when he saw her glance in the direction the group had gone yet again.

"I know… It's just… Nothing."

Kunsel glanced at her and shook his head. "If it's bothering you then it's not nothing."

"It just seemed like Rachas wanted to say something but didn't."

Red glanced up from where he was resting on the ground. "I'm more concerned about Cloud, he has acted off each time that Sephiroth has been in the vicinity and Zack freezes up. Something isn't right about this."

Aeris nodded when a strange feeling suddenly overcame her, like someone was trying to touch her mind. Glancing around, she didn't see any of the others.

"Aeris, you're here! I'm so glad!" Tifa's voice called out from the direction that Zack, Rachas, and Cloud had all gone.

"Tifa!" Aeris felt relief flood her. "Where is everyone else? Where are Zack and Rachas?"

"Everyone's waiting! Zack's in trouble!" Tifa's voice trembled slightly and her face seemed lined with worry. "Please come, help us! Over there!" Tifa pointed back the way she had come.

Aeris's heart skipped a beat and she didn't hesitate as she ran down the path indicated by Tifa.

_**Normal**_

"Mr. President… I've got a bad feeling about this place…" Scarlet announced as she hesitantly stepped towards the entrance, skirting around me by about fifteen feet while throwing the occasional glance at the back wall.

"Hmm… Maybe we should go back to our ship now." Even Rufus looked weary of me but his attention also seemed divided between me and the back wall. "The ground doesn't seem entirely stable."

A bright light double flickered then and Tifa, Cloud, Zack, Yuffie, and Vincent all appeared in the area, most of them looking very confused.

Scarlet's eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets. "W-where did you come from?" she demanded in a rather weak voice.

Cloud raised his head slightly, and the emptiness of his eyes terrified me. "…don't know." He glanced around at everyone then, ally and Shinra. "This place is going to get rough. Better leave things to me and get out of here while you still can."

Rufus's bravado was completely back as he sneered at Cloud. "Leave things to you? Hmph… I don't know what you mean."

Cloud turned away from everyone and lowered his head. "This is where the Reunion is happening. Where everything begins and ends."

Tifa ran up to him and I immediately turned my eyes on Zack. He looked as though he had seen a ghost though I guess seeing yourself die and hearing your last words would seriously spook people.

"Are you ok?" I demanded.

"Yeah… That really was a freaky trick they tried to play… Showing my own death… Ha ha ha…" Zack's laughter was weak and humorless, he was far to distressed to deal with this.

"You're alive, so whatever you saw hasn't happened." 'And won't so long as I have any say in the matter,' I thought.

"Where did you disappear to?" Vincent asked.

"I tried to break the illusion so Jenova kicked me out."

"That was seriously spooky," Yuffie whispered as she joined us, visibly shivering.

"It never happened," I firmly reassured.

"Zack! Cloud!" Aeris appeared in the entrance way and I felt my heart stop at the sight of her. Cloud was too close to her for me to intercept!

"Thanks… Where's the Black Materia?"

"It's safe," Aeris replied, showing the hand she held it in.

Before I could react and try to call the materia to me, Zack's arms suddenly wrapped around my neck and caught me in a headlock.

"Wha?" I barely managed before Zack was speaking again.

"She found that scene of my death in your mind, she told me so. Why is that Rachas? Why did you see my death? Was that your plan for me?"

"Stop!" Vincent and Yuffie grabbed one of Zack's arms each and attempted to pry him off but I was only focused on the scene before me, as Cloud took the materia from Aeris.

"Let go!" I barely managed to choke only for Zack to snort.

"Why? So you can use me as some sort of martyr? Or a sacrifice?"

"To stop this!" Vincent and Yuffie finally managed to drag Zack off of me and I lurched forward, hand extended to try to call the materia away from Cloud.

"Sorry everyone. And I'm especially sorry to you, Tifa."

My attempts to call the materia away from Cloud weren't succeeding! His grip on the thing was like iron! When I was less than three feet from Cloud, his hand shot up and wrapped solidly around my outstretched arm.

"You've all been so good to me… I don't know what to say… I never lived up to being 'Cloud'. Tifa, maybe one day you'll meet the real 'Cloud'."

"Help!" I screamed as Cloud's grip on my arm tightened to an unbelievable pressure. The sound of the bones in my arm breaking then filled the air as well as my cry of pain.

"Rachas!" Aeris and Vincent were next to me in an instant, him setting my bones and her casting Cure after he had. My attention was riveted on Cloud though as he moved towards Hojo and Tifa fell to her knees.

"Ha, ha, ha, this is perfect!" Hojo laughed in his insane manner. "It means my experiment was a complete success. What number were you? Huh? Where is your tattoo?" Hojo's good mood was quick to derail into as he noticed no tattoo on Cloud's arm.

"I… don't have a number…"

"Because you have a name!" I shouted at him even as Vincent grabbed my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Zack's look of shock.

"You didn't give me one because you said I was a failed experiment."

"What the- You mean only a failure made it here?" Hojo's shock rapidly gave way to anger as he turned away from Cloud.

"Rachas, explain!" Zack was upon me again right as Cloud opened his mouth to ask Hojo for a number. "What was that scene?"

"A fate that didn't befall you!" I screamed finally.

"A… fate?"

"I believe in choices Zack, that fate isn't something you can't change! What you saw was a fate that I saw could befall you in route to Midgar, so I stepped in!"

"You changed fate?" Zack wasn't the only one who looked shocked.

"So… the visions I sometimes have," Aeris began and my head snapped in her direction.

"Visions?"

"When we started training. Sometimes when I clear my mind I see visions, things that sometimes happen."

I nodded. "That's what I mean Aeris. With our power you can sometimes see the future. It usually takes a bit of focus but sometimes it just comes up and bites you."

"What does that mean for me though? What did you see?" Zack was desperate now.

"You never would have made it back to Midgar if I hadn't stepped in like I did. You would have been overcome by the soldiers we saw on the road as I flew you back."

Zack froze and paled slightly then closed his eyes and seemed to recall something. "The guns… They were Shinra issue, and the other bodies were of Shinra troops also."

"I saw a city on a plate in the distance," Vincent offered and Zack paled further.

"Cloud!" Tifa called and we all turned to see Cloud levitate off the ground and head into the root-like plant thing that formed the ceiling of this chamber.

"Cloud! Get back here!" I screamed after the retreating form of our friend.

"Who… was that?" Rufus really sounded more confused now than anything.

"…He's a Sephiroth-clone I created after the real Sephiroth died four years ago."

"Bullshit!" I screamed, finally at my wits end. I had been on a very long and stressful journey which had started with me being kidnapped by a Goddess in the middle of a flight, interrogated by Turks, spending a night in the Shinra building, and rushing out to rescue someone who was originally destined to die! I wasn't dealing with this crackpot who claimed to be a scientist any longer!

"I know what a clone is: a genetic copy of an original. Cloud is an unfortunate person you kidnapped to your damned laboratory and experimented on for your own twisted amusement!" I had stomped up to Hojo now and stood toe-to-toe with the twisted man. "You declared him a failure for not becoming a mindless drone whose only purpose was to seek out this supposed "Sephiroth" for some crackpot theory you have on Jenova's cells all being drawn to together which served absolutely no higher purpose than satisfying your sadistic curiosity of a being whose intent towards our Planet is pure destruction! You are probably the worst thing that has ever crawled around on the surface of the Planet and your idiotic meddling has just brought it the closest to destruction that it has been for over 2000 years!" I was screaming the last part, backing Hojo back through the chamber as he attempted to put some space between us.

"Every good scientist has his critics," he stated loftily right as I noticed the green and purple blotches on his skin.

"You sick bastard…" I whispered. "When I'm done with you, you'll have all the mental capability of a two year old!" I lashed out then and prepared to permanently maim Hojo's mind but a sickening presence in the body stopped me cold. "You… the Calamity is in you!" I yelled the last part and without thinking sent a hard Jedi push into Hojo's chest and watched him fly across the room and smash into a grunt.

"Rachas stop!" Zack was beside me then, hand taking a firm grip on my wrist. "I want to hit this guy as badly as you, hell I want to kill him! But we need to get Cloud!"

I glanced up and realized I couldn't see Cloud at all. "Can you get up there?"

"I'll need help."

"You got it." I stepped back from Zack and focused on him, lifting him as quickly as I could to the root system above us.

"Cloud?" Zack called as he latched onto a root and dragged himself into the bramble.

Some debris from above falling signaled those final moments that we had to prevent Meteor being called and we all saw a crystalline orb descend from the center of the mess, a figure frozen inside.

The screams I had heard from Sephiroth before were much more intense now than they had ever been before and with them rose screams from the Planet as it seemed to realize what was about to happen.

"Did you see it? It's Sephiroth! So he IS here!" Hojo looked as though Christmas had just come as I glanced over at Aeris.

Aeris looked to be in pain, her hands covering her ears. "I can hear them," she said when she saw me looking at her. "They're so afraid!"

"This is perfect! Both Jenova's Reunion and Sephiroth's will! They won't be diffused into the Lifestream but gathered here! Mwa-ha-ha!"

I gathered Aeris into a hug and offered what comfort I could to her as Tifa rounded on the madman.

"What are you so happy about, Professor?" she demanded. "You know what this means, don't you? Cloud has the Black Materia! Sephiroth is going to summon Meteor! Every single person is going to die!"

Rufus stepped up then, some of his swagger decidedly missing. "Whatever I say now is too little… too late…"

"Damn straight!" came a shout from behind him. It was Cid and he was leading everyone else into the chamber.

"We must evacuate!" Rufus continued. "I want you all to come with me. There is still much more I want to hear."

"Where's Zack and Cloud?" Kunsel demanded as Tifa and Aeris both turned their heads toward the roof, and we all looked on in horror. Cloud was levitating just below the mess, hand outstretched to the form in the crystal and Zack looked to be fighting to keep himself in motion, trying to reach out and stop Cloud.

"Cloud, don't!" Tifa shouted as Cloud's hand entered the crystal.

"Zack! We've got to go!" Kunsel shouted.

"I can't leave him!" Zack called, and he didn't sound too good either.

The rocking of the floor shook everyone and the next thing I knew, Kunsel and Barret were pushing Tifa and Aeris down the corridor after Rufus, Cait's mog leading me by my hand.

The sound of rushing snow exploded behind us and I dared to glance back to see snow filling the cave behind us. Everyone was running now, even Tifa and Aeris though they kept looking back and I didn't blame them.

"Come on!" Kunsel shouted from the front of the group, having passed even Rufus at this point. He reached the deck of the airship first and jumped in then turned and helped Yuffie as Vincent also boarded. Cid jumped in also while Rufus pushed open the deck door and stepped in followed by Cait Sith who pulled me onboard. Tifa and Aeris were right behind me and Barret came in with a limping Red.

"Get us out of here!" Rufus yelled on an intercom and the engines roared to life as the crew dropped the grounding lines and the Highwind began to rise rapidly.

Beneath us, the geyser of the crater erupted in a vibrant display of mako and I felt the pull, the screaming of the Planet and the dark laughter. Meteor was being summoned!

"It's happening!" Aeris screamed to everyone and a felt a weight climb onto my shoulder.

"We couldn't stop it…" I murmured as tears began to form in my eyes.

The slight hug I received advised me of Reeve's control. "It'll be ok, you were able to cast Holy," he whispered in his own voice, just soft enough for me to hear.

Glancing down, I swallowed hard at the sight of a large, clawed hand appear on the cracking snow beneath us.

"Weapon's been unleashed!" I yelled at the others and there was a rush to the rail by AVALANCHE and Shinra alike, everyone staring down at the monster born from the Planet as it stood, quickly rising to an unbelievable stature. As it blasted into the air, the airship shook in the wake caused by this defender of the Planet and Tifa finally seemed to have had too much.

"Tifa!" Barret yelled as he caught her but the woman was catatonic.

Another blast could be heard from the crater and we all saw several enormous forms blast out from the mako fountain. A flash of red, a jawline, wings… that was all I saw of the Weapons as they sped out of the crater.

Then the Highwind was climbing and we seemed to be away from the worst of the turbulence.

The day's events must have weighed heavily on everyone because at that moment it seemed as though not one person could stand straight. Barret was holding Tifa and looking very lost. Yuffie was doing her best to comfort Aeris who was beside herself right now. Cid was hunched over, leaning heavily on his spear; even Kunsel looked like more than a little downtrodden.

"Guards, confiscate their weapons and escort them to the brig," Rufus's voice called.

Several of the others jerked and turned angrily, but as the guards quickly surrounded a helpless Barret who was holding the catatonic Tifa, we surrendered our weapons. Our packs were also taken by the guards though I don't think they noted who had which. Cait Sith gave me an apologetic look then jumped to his mog and I understood why. Reeve would be no help if he stood by me now and we both knew it.

I offered a half smile to show I understood before the mog and robotic cat disappeared into the ship.

"Fucking sell-outs!" Cid roared as we were pushed through the hallways to the rear of the ship. "Knew we shouldn't have trusted Rufus!"

"What choice was there?" Red stated tiredly.

"Silence!" one of the MPs yelled as another one shoved open a door and gestured for us to enter with his gun.

"Fucking shitheads! Asses of Shinra!" Cid yelled as he led us in while the rest of us followed in a more silent manner. The door was closed and locked as soon as we were all in and then Vincent turned to me.

"You have visions, correct?"

"Yeah, but it takes a fair amount of concentration for me bring one on myself."

"Wait, what?" Kunsel's attention was caught automatically.

"How much have you been keeping secret?" Vincent pressed.

"Enough to surprise people still even if everything I admitted to you guys were told to Shinra."

"Smart."

"So what now?" Yuffie asked as she sank to the floor.

"We get away and find Cloud and Zack," Aeris's voice was ironclad and shocked most of us.

"Say what?" Barret demanded while Kunsel walked over to her.

"As much as I hate to admit this Aeris, Cloud and Zack are gone. There is no way they could have survived."

"No, she's right!" I interrupted as I felt the Planet's voice and actually listened. "They're not dead! We'd know!"

"Are you certain?" Red asked, hope in his eyes.

"Yes," Aeris responded.

"Well, better find a way to escape when the time comes!" Cid began to tear through the cell we were all shoved in, beating the panels with his fist and stomping on the tiles.

"Cid, I can just control a guard," I called to him.

"Don't trust that!" he responded.

Around the room various members of our party seemed to relax to a certain extent, Yuffie leaned against Kunsel while Red came up and set his head on my lap after I sat down and leaned against a wall. My watch indicated it was just past five in the evening and I found myself beginning to laugh.

"What's wrong?" Red asked as I tried to bring my laughter under control.

"Just this morning you, Yuffie, Barret, and I were with Zack and Cloud in an ice cave and now all of this has happened."

"It's been a long day for all of us," Kunsel offered and I nodded.

As Cid continued to bang around the world I began to feel very tired, my eyelids growing very heavy.

As I drifted off to sleep, I found my mind once again in the green stream of life. The Lifestream was in an uproar right now though, voices yelling back and forth and for the second time since I had come to Gaia, I saw the Goddess. She was her normal majestic self despite the fear and chaos that resounded through the world.

"Are Cloud and Zack alright?" I asked the first question on my mind. I knew they weren't dead but I knew nothing else about them. I didn't even know if they would both come out in the same place.

"_They're just fine,"_ was the response I received. _"They'll both be free of any influence of Jenova but they'll need the help of those who care for them."_ She smiled then at me._ "And you seem to finally have accepted Gaia as home."_

"What do you mean?"

"_When you were yelling at Hojo earlier, you referred to Gaia as 'our Planet', your home as well as the home of your friends."_

Thinking back on those moments of anger, I bit myself when I realized she was right, I had referred to Gaia as my home. And it hadn't felt wrong to do so. But now though, even though it still felt like a true statement, I found myself struggling with it. I was from Earth, that was where my friends were and where I should return.

"_Would it really be so hard to stay here?"_

"No, but it would be wrong. The hardest thing in the world will be going back."

Around us the Lifestream continued to cry its fear about what was to come, refusing any soothing Minerva tried to offer. Wherever they were right now, I hope Zack and Cloud weren't in too much pain.

My watch indicated it was just around 3am when I was shaken awake. Glancing around, I saw Vincent, Cid, and Kunsel were already awake and they were working their way around the room, shaking the others awake. Cait Sith was there also, standing right next to me with the door to the hallway open.

"You'll need to hurry!" Cait instructed and I realized once again that Reeve was in control. Had he been up all night?

"The ship will be landing in Junon in a few minutes so we'll need to move fast," Cait Sith continued as he gave me a hand up. "I've arranged for a place for you all to stay, you should be safe there. And your packs and weapons are in the hall."

"Will you be ok? Won't they guess what happened?" I demanded as the last of my grogginess faded.

"I'll be fine," Cait Sith insisted then gestured for me to lean closer. When I did, he whispered in my ear, "I eavesdropped on a conversation between some of the executives and Hojo. They want to send you to somewhere called Deepground."

"Do you know what that is?" I asked even as I scanned my memory and came up with the antagonists of Dirge of Cerberus. They were a part of Shinra? How much trouble was Rufus still going to cause after all of this was over?

Reeve made Cait shake his head. "No, and I can't find any information on it which equals 'not good' in my mind."

"I'm not going," Barret announced as everyone readied themselves for escape.

"Why?" Kunsel asked then saw Tifa was still catatonic.

"You guys will need to move fast and we'd just slow you down. I can't leave her here on her own."

Cid nodded before heading for the door. "Hangin tight then, we'll be back for you guys."

"See you soon," Yuffie called as she raced out after Cid while Kunsel offered a nod.

Vincent helped Aeris out then and they were followed by a still slightly limping Red.

"Take care," I ordered before allowing Cait to lead me from the room. My weapons were easy enough to identify and I eagerly strapped them back on as we followed Cid to the back of the airship, each of us carrying a random pack. Cid used a lead line to jump down to the airfield while the ship was still not yet landed and we all followed then raced across the field, jumped a barrier, and took off into the darkened city.


	37. Chapter 37

Saria: Rainy days! How I love them!

Tori: It's been raining since yesterday!

Saria: Isn't it great? (Dreamy look)

Zas: I'm going stir crazy!

SA: (Tosses an umbrella at Zas)

zzzzzzzzzz

It hadn't felt right to leave Tifa and Barret behind but there was no way I'd be able to stay, especially after Reeve told me that they wanted to send me to Deepground. I had only gotten ten to fifteen minutes into Dirge of Cerberus and knew they were the antagonists of the game, and a friend while trying to interest me into playing more said Hojo made a reappearance. I had no idea how; he was supposed to be dead. But anything that had anything to do with Hojo told me 'experiments', so I was automatically not interested.

"I sent another Cait Sith ahead to meet the ship and try to cover up the absence of this unit," Reeve explained as we moved quickly through the predawn streets. "I have never told anyone that I have more than one of them, so it should go unnoticed."

"And with them thinking we left without you…" Kunsel reasoned.

"Then I'm no longer a spy in AVALANCHE," Reeve finished as he directed Cait Sith into a nice looking neighborhood. "From this point on, I'm AVALANCHE's spy in Shinra."

I grinned broadly as Yuffie gave a 'Whoop!' that was silenced abruptly by the appearance of Kunsel's hand over her mouth.

Cid also grinned. "Glad to have you officially onboard!"

"Where are we going for now?" Red was still limping a bit so we slowed down for him as we turned another corner.

"I have a house in the city that I stay in whenever projects cause me to have to come here. The neighborhood is a good, private one and they wouldn't expect to find any of you here. Even if they do come, I have a panic room I designed and built myself." Cait Sith finally came to a stop in front of a rather large building then bounced up to a small panel. None of us could see what he did at the panel but the door popped open a moment later.

The inside of the house had the smell of machine oil permeating through it and even in the thick darkness you could just make out the shapes of half built items spread out on the surfaces of the house.

"Ow!" "ouchie!" various voices yelped as we spread out through the room and several thumps could be heard.

"Hold on, the light switch is around here somewhere…" Some scraping could be heard near the door and then the room was flooded with light. Spots appeared in my vision due to the light and I found myself blinking rapidly to clear them.

The room was in an odd sort of order and disarray. The floor was clean, tools were in their proper place, and no oil stains were anywhere, but on just about every table top was a tangle of gears, circuits, wires, and all sorts of components as well as blue prints.

"Is this a workshop?" Aeris asked as she glanced at a table.

"I practice my hobbies wherever I am," Reeve responded as he directed his robotic form towards another doorway. "There are four bedrooms in this house and three baths. Help yourselves to them. The kitchen is down the hall and the panic room is upstairs."

"So, any ideas on what we can do?" Red had limped over to a rug by a sofa and had tiredly flopped down.

Kunsel sat down on the sofa himself. "Good question. We need to rescue Tifa and Barret then find Cloud and Zack. At the moment though Tifa and Barret have priority."

"Agreed, but we'll need an opportunity." Vincent was leaning against a wall, once again distancing himself from us.

"I have an idea for transportation if anyone wants to hear it," Cid stated as he sprawled on the couch next to Kunsel.

'Does it involve the Highwind?" I asked and laughed slightly when Cid jumped a little.

"Were you doing that mind reading thing?" he demanded as he grabbed a couch pillow as a shield.

"No."

"You're painfully obvious," Yuffie pointed out with a grin as she shoved herself between Cid and Kunsel, leaning slightly on Kunsel.

Cid shrugged as he gave us a devilish grin. "The Highwind's a fast ship and not havin her will make things difficult for Shinra."

"How would you take her though? I don't think two pilots is enough of a crew for that ship," Kunsel pointed out and Cid's shoulders slumped for a moment before another idea hit him.

"The crew! We get the crew to mutiny and join us!"

"A captain encouraging a mutiny, this has got to be a first!" I called with a laugh. Turning serious I brought up the next point of interest. "Aeris and I will focus on finding Zack and Cloud so that once we do get underway we'll be able to head straight for them."

"Alright then," Cid declared as he stood and stretched with a loud groan. "Best get started then. I'll get in touch with them and try to convince 'em."

"You might want to wait for actual morning," Reeve commented as a whistling noise reached us and he turned back to the doorway. "It's not even 5am yet so they are bound to want some rest. For now I have a kettle of water for tea."

"Good man!" Cid yelled enthusiastically as he grabbed his pack of cigarettes from a pocket. "Hey, anyone mind if-"

"No smoking in the house." Reeve's order was firm and drew a groan from Cid.

_**Lifestream**_

Everything hurt. It was like someone had turn open every wound he had ever had and poured alcohol and acid into the wounds before trying to sew them shut. Breathing felt much the same, causing the tender flesh of his lungs to burn. Never before had Zack felt such pain, not even in the depths of Hojo's lab.

Groaning, he glanced at Cloud who he had barely been able to grab as the snowy roof had collapsed. For several minutes the both of them had been buried in a snow tomb and Cloud was just as unresponsive as right after they had escaped the lab.

"It'll be ok Cloud," he had reassured the unresponsive man even as he felt the snow around them begin to quake alarmingly. He had continued to repeat it as the world seemed to explode in brilliance and pain erupted throughout his body, how he had managed to hold onto Cloud he had no idea.

Zack now heard the screams of the Planet, just as Aeris and Rachas most likely could and he knew Meteor had been summoned. And amidst it all, SHE had come. Her blond hair flowed around her, the armor intricate and full.

Zack was awed by her as the current of the Lifestream drew them closer to the being and all he could think of at that moment was the sheer unfairness of the world.

"Don't tell me GENESIS of all people was RIGHT!" he screamed before the woman nodded her head to them and the bright stream rose around them.

_**Shinra**_

Right before the Highwind landed in Junon, Hojo had come to Rufus about his experimental subjects from the AVALANCHE group.

"Valentine and Kunsel, right?" Rufus had confirmed, not in the least concerned.

"I want another," Hojo stated blandly. "The blond Ancient."

Rufus wished he could say he was surprised, but he wasn't in the least. After what they had seen in that crater compounded with various other reports on the woman's strange abilities, he couldn't help but wonder just how she had remained anonymous for so long. One thing was certain though; she couldn't be allowed to go unchecked ever again.

"Fine, and make certain that she is heavily guarded. If she ever escapes it will be your head."

"Very well," Hojo offered a very creepy smile. "I shall begin the arrangements for them to be transferred to Midgar."

Rufus stiffened. He didn't want that being in Midgar though if he gave it some thought, that was where their best security would be located, and Hojo's most secured labs. Hojo was already on his way out though and Rufus wasn't sure what else he could say other than:

"Your specimens will be secured here in Junon until you make the proper arrangements. And be quick about that Professor."

Shortly after landing they had found that seven of their nine prisoners had escaped and Hojo had looked ready to go on a tirade about the loss of his three promised specimens. Currently they were searching the city both above and below though Rufus doubted that AVALANCHE was still in the city. They would have hightailed it out of the city immediately if they had any brains, but wherever they had gone they had not taken Cait Sith with them.

Now they had a new disaster brewing all together. Meteor had been successfully cast and it was enroute to destroy the Planet as well as there being WEAPONs on the loose. Dawn hadn't even come yet and he was receiving reports from all over the planet about large monsters.

All of this was caused because AVALANCHE just had to prove he and his company were harming the planet, now their negligence was going to destroy it! Well, he knew how to counter this. They needed to set some examples once enough fear was stirred up amongst the average people and then find a solution for Meteor. If he could manage that then Shinra would be established for the rest of his life as the power that saved the Planet!

_**Normal**_

The tea that was served was a different experience. There was no Zack making funny faces, no Cloud who was caught between laughing and trying to keep a straight face, and no Tifa finally getting fed up and yelling or Aeris gently making Zack finish his tea. It was so quiet that it was creepy.

"I'm gonna take a shower," Yuffie announced as she stood from her stool.

Cid glanced over at the clock on the stove which now indicated it was almost half past five. "I'm going to get some shut eye on the couch before calling my crew."

Neither Vincent nor Kunsel said anything as they also left the room leaving just Aeris, Cait Sith/Reeve, and me. Sighing, I grabbed their empty cups, took them to the sink, and began to rinse them out.

"You don't have to do that," Reeve called as he directed Cait Sith over to where I stood.

"We're making use of your house, the least we can do is clean up our messes," I replied as I set the dishes into the dishwasher. "Don't you need to get some rest?"

"This was actually supposed to be a day off for me, it is Sunday after all."

"I didn't realize." Geez, the days seemed to all just press together. Wasn't it almost May? Or was it closer to June now? Let's see, it was the end of March when I arrived in Gaia… A quick mental count of the days indicated that close to fifty days had passed meaning it should be mid-May. Time certainly flies.

"Traveling like you guys do, it would be easy to lose track."

Glancing at Aeris, I saw she was fiddling slightly with her cup. "You have a question?"

Aeris nodded then set her cup down firmly. "When will we start our search for Zack and Cloud?"

"Do you feel up for trying right now?"

She looked torn between shaking her head and nodding. Realizing the problem we were facing, I decided to take control for now.

"We'll get some rest and try this afternoon. We're also going to be starting you on a new skill as soon as we can."

What skill?" Aeris asked, her voice tired.

"Entering and attacking the mind of another."

Both Cait and Aeris stared at me then, disbelieving what I had just said.

"Attacking? That sounds terrible," Aeris's fatigue was mostly replaced by disdain.

"I've never actually done it, but I think we'll need to skip ahead in your lessons and have you learn it."

"Why?"

"Because Jenova is capable of it. You need to learn to block her as well as be able to mount an attack, especially considering what we know from your mother's records."

"You mean about her consciousness?"

"Yes, if we can't destroy her, mentally and physically, then the Calamity will continue to return."

Reeve sighed heavily then, fitting the mood of the room perfectly while Aeris seemed to fall back into deep thought.

"Is it to make sure she can't do to Zack or Cloud what happened to Sephiroth?"

"Partially. Mostly it's so we can insure her absolute destruction."

Aeris still didn't look very comfortable with what I was telling her but she did seem to understand at least. "Alright, let me get some rest first then we can get started."

I picked up her cup as she turned and left and rinsed it out before putting it into the dishwasher with the rest of the dishes before taking several deep breathes and trying to unwind. I was about to teach something to Aeris that I hadn't really meant to so soon, but looking back on all that was going to happen, she'd have to learn now. Tifa was going to have to help Cloud get his mind back in order and I had no clue how to help with that, but if Zack was in the same situation then Aeris was the best choice.

"You don't like what are going to be teaching her." Reeve's voice reached my ears and I glanced over at the robotic form of Cait Sith as I allowed myself to sink to the ground.

"No," I replied. "I don't like it at all, but right now it may be necessary. And you know what they say about over-prepared versus under."

Reeve's gesture at comfort was to use his cat paw to pat my shoulder. We both understood how painful necessary evils such as being prepared could be.

Several minutes later I snuck past Cid who was snoring on a couch with Red on the opposite couch and snuck up the stairs to where the bedrooms were. Three of the bedroom doors were shut. Assuming those rooms were taken, I pushed open the last door and found myself I in a large room with an in suite bathroom.

One thorough shower later and I crawled into the soft bed, intent for a few hours of sleep in an actual bed.

Several hours later the sound of clanking woke me and I yanked on my old clothes and wandered downstairs. The sound was Yuffie rummaging through some of the equipment on one of the tables while Cid looked like he was attempting to do something in the kitchen with Kunsel standing by right behind him, fire extinguisher in hand.

"What's going on?" I asked Red who was currently sitting on the floor next to another table that several blue prints were stacked on.

"I think Cid is trying to make tea."

"Why's Kunsel standing by with a fire extinguisher?"

"He's already started a fire when he set the tea into the kettle and didn't add water!" Yuffie said with a wide grin as she picked up what looked like a tangle of wires. "What do you think he intended for this?"

"Maybe he's making the leash we need for you," I told her with a grin. "Where are Vincent and Aeris?"

"Vincent said he was going to check the security of the panic room and Aeris saw a small garden out back." Cait Sith walked into the room, sans his mog. His speech pattern also indicated that Reeve wasn't in control.

"Vinny went up about ten minutes ago though," Yuffie pointed out.

"Right after the first fire actually. Said he wanted to insure it was fire proof."

Glancing out a window, I saw Aeris moving about a rather barren garden, kneeling every so often to pull the odd weed. She had obviously showered recently though her dress was in desperate need of either replacing or severe washing. Come to think of it, we all needed to wash our clothes, and unlike last time I did laundry, there was no one to borrow from.

"Umm… Cait, does Reeve have a washing machine and spare clothes here?"

The robot showed me the laundry room and I wasn't surprised to find a basket of washed clothes sitting on top of the dryer. I really hoped he wouldn't mind what I was about to do.

Rummaging through the clothes I pulled out a shirt and a pair of jeans. They'd be big on me but would work for now and could be washed when I was done.

There was no saving my cold weather equipment; it was utterly ruined from the dragon fire I'd been hit with. My regular clothes were once again down to one pair of cargos and a shirt. Dragging on Reeve's clean clothing, I first shoved my clothes into the machine before heading back to everyone else.

"I'm doing laundry!" I announced. "Everyone find something else to wear for a few hours!"

Yuffie had yelped and run through the house, eventually reappearing with her clothes ready to wash and her sporting a robe. Kunsel also found the laundry basket and pulled out a spare shirt and jeans. Aeris also found a robe and used that after handing over her clothes. Vincent submitted no laundry.

"Gotta meet my boys and get things movin!" Cid yelled as he ran out of the door when I approached him about laundry.

"You have to come back sometime!" I shouted after him before going back to the laundry room. To be honest I was glad that Cid's clothes weren't going to be mixed in with mine or anyone else's, his reeked of cigarettes.

It took two wash cycles in Reeve's very nice washer before I believed the clothes clean enough and moved them to the dryer. By that time it was noon and everyone was hungry. We raided the pantry and freezer then and made a lunch of canned fruit, pancakes, and sausage. Red on the other hand ate some of a turkey that was found in the freezer.

After lunch, Aeris and I went to one of the bedrooms for some privacy.

"How are we going to do this?" Aeris asked as she sat down.

I settled in myself and got comfortable. "We're going to start by trying to locate Zack and Cloud. Hopefully they'll be in the same place or close together. After we locate them, we'll start on how you enter the mind of another."

Aeris nodded and visibly relaxed. "So, do I just close my eyes and focus on them?"

"You focus on them and let go of your body," I instructed. "Let the Lifestream guide you to where they are." Closing my own eyes, I followed my own instructions and felt myself drift away and focused on trying to find Cloud. He was very easy to locate, already in Mideel. The nurse I had met was there with him and even now was trying to feed his unresponsive body.

Zack was a bit more difficult to locate, his presence seemed to surround Cloud, like he had been trying to hold on to him and got unwillingly ripped away. After a few minutes though we did locate him, he had gone home to Gongaga. Terra and Locke had seen plenty of cases of mako poisoning and were able to take care of their son though from what I could gather of their conversation, they were worried about the rest of us. Aeris had stayed several extra minutes with Zack in spirit before withdrawing back to her body.

The smile she wore for now, knowing that Zack and Cloud were alive and where we could find them, was refreshing. Then she seemed to remember the other part of the lesson we would be covering and her expression sobered.

"Entering the mind of another is key for any number of things," I began. "You can read people's intentions, plant an idea, find out information, remove something altogether or dull an experience, heal the mind of an injury, or cause injury."

Aeris nodded at my explanation thought she still didn't look thrilled about the notion of entering the mind of another.

"Today we'll have to give you your first bit of practice using me. We'll start by me entering your mind first to give you an idea of what to do."

The next two hours were spent with me first entering Aeris's mind, planting the bit of information on how to enter another's mind, and then suffering a massive headache that accompanied Aeris's first attempt. That covered the first ten minutes, the rest of the time was her attempting to be my nurse.

"Well, it was better than my first attempt," I informed her as soon as I could talk again.

"How could it have been worse?" Aeris sounded close to tears.

"First time I tried I actually knocked out the guy that I was trying to read." It didn't make Aeris feel any better.

When we finally left the room, Kunsel had taken charge of our clothes and had finished the laundry for us. Vincent had also reemerged from the panic room and declared to be "adequate" against most intruders and fire.

"So… what's for dinner?" Yuffie asked when we emerged after having changed into our normal clothes.

"What are you going to cook?" I asked, earning a yell from Kunsel and a giggle from Aeris who realized I wasn't being serious. "Any idea when Cid will be back?"

"He called while you two were in session. Said this could take a while and he got invited to stay with one of his crew members. Any luck?"

"We found them!" Aeris reported with a smile.

Red raised his head instantly. "Well? Are they ok?"

"Mako poisoned but alive," I answered. "Cloud is in Mideel, Zack in Gongaga."

"Alright! That's not too far!" Yuffie declared with a cheer. "We can get them fast from either place!"

"More importantly, Shinra doesn't have a major presence in either location." Kunsel moved over to the television which we had not turned on yet today. "Let's see if there is any news."

Cait Sith wandered in then and I gently lifted the cat robot as I moved into the kitchen, checking through the cupboards. There was rice, canned vegetables, frozen chicken, canned fruit, and a few seasonings scattered about. Seeing not much else we could use, I took the chicken out of the freezer and set it to defrost. It had a few hours still before we'd be ready for it, but it always cooked better if it was thawed.

"Rachas!" Hearing Aeris call my name, I rushed out into the living room where the television was, Cait Sith still under one arm and stared at the news reel that had obviously sparked her call.

On the television was Rufus Shinra himself, advising people of the threat of WEAPON and that if they should see one of these monsters that it was best if they stay inside. He was also requesting information on a number of individuals. My eyes widened as pictures of everyone flashed across the screen, including pictures of Yuffie and Vincent, the one exception being Cait Sith.

"We believe these are the individuals responsible for the current chaos on the Planet, both the large monsters and the meteor that is headed for the Planet. If you see them, do not try to apprehend them, contact the authorities. Especially be careful of the following individuals, believed to be the leaders of this terrorist group. They are Vincent Valentine," Vincent's picture appeared on the screen along with his height, weight, and other information. "Kunsel, formerly of SOLDIER," this time a picture of Kunsel and his stats appeared on the screen. "And Rachas Kaze." I tripped and sat down hard as my own picture appeared as well as my stats.

"Well, looks like we're stuck here until it's time to leave Junon," Kunsel stated after a minute.

"Speak for yourselves! An awesome ninja can go anywhere without being seen or caught."

"We are also pleased to report that we have two of the senior members of AVALANCHE currently in custody. Tifa Lockhart and Barret Wallace." Pictures of both our comrades appeared on the set. "Their execution is scheduled at the end of the week. We will be inviting certain members of the press in to witness this event."

"Execution!" Aeris looked shocked and ill.

"Should have at least tried to carry her out," Kunsel growled angrily.

"Shinra will continue in our efforts to both stop the monsters released by these terrorists and find a way to destroy Meteor. We thank you for your continued support of the Shinra Power and Electric Company." Rufus did a pretty good job at presenting himself as the benevolent businessman, it would be interesting if we could poll the audience then and see how many actually bought his act.

"They can't be trying to blame us for everything!" Yuffie yelled indignantly.

"They can't cover this up, of course they're going to blame a scapegoat and we're convenient." Kunsel was cold when he stated this though his arm wrapped around Yuffie's shoulder. "They'll always blame the easiest group."

"But why did they focus on you three as leaders?" Aeris asked as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Kunsel is a former SOLDIER, they needed to emphasize former or else it would reflect badly on them. It also says former or not, SOLDIERs are strong," Red said as he stared at the set.

Vincent stared at me for a moment then sighed. "A former Turk plus what I know about the happenings in the labs."

Now all eyes were on me. "Probably because of those of us they know are left, I've been with AVALANCHE the longest. Add to it what I did to the Sector Seven pillar and…" I trailed off as I realized just how stupid I had been the "drop the kiddy gloves" in the Northern Crater the way I had.

"So, we need a plan to rescue those two by the end o' the week," Cait Sith said as he hopped out of my arms. "And disguises so none of us get recognized."

"We need to call Cid also, make sure he knows," Red pointed out.

The rest of the day was spent planning out possible rescue plans that ranged everywhere from the plan of Cait Sith's subterfuge as a reporter to sneak into the execution to Yuffie Super Ninja jumping in and saving everyone. I did admit my ability to go unnoticed and for a while that was kicked around as a possible method until I employed it before them and Cait Sith stated that it didn't work with him.

The discussions continued through dinner that night with us slowly hammering out what we believed would be a foolproof plan with Cait Sith being the one to sneak in and then the rest of us would either create a distraction or something of the sorts.

That night as we all adjourned to bed there were no updates from Cid beyond him trusting his crew to not turn us in and he was going to be staying with them for a while. Even knowing that they would agree by the end of the week, I was still nervous for him. Heck, I was nervous for all of us, especially Reeve. If he was discovered then he would either be executed or used as bait for us, and they would treat him all the worse due to him being someone who should be loyal to Shinra.

I was in the same room again as was everyone else, our packs stashed in the panic room earlier today to make sure that if we needed to make use of the room, there would be no evidence of us elsewhere in the house.

_**Midgar**_

Reeve pushed though the door of his office, noting that his usual stack of paperwork was not the same. There were reports from all over of damages that had been inflicted on properties all over the planet. The WEAPONs were causing destruction all over, general trading routes were being affected due to WEAPON and monsters were starting to rear their heads.

He had found out about the impending executions of the Barret and Tifa last night so he immediately checked for a report from Cait Sith and found they had already begun to make plans for a rescue.

Just as he began to entertain the notion of calling Rachas to see if there were any updates, his office phone began to ring loudly.

"This is Reeve Tuesti," he stated as he lifted the receiver.

"Yes, Reeve," Rufus's voice sounded over the line. "As I'm certain you have heard by now, we still have two of AVALANCHEs oldest members in custody."

"Yes, Tifa Lockhart and Barret Wallace," Reeve replied as he did his best to keep his voice neutral. "I've also heard that you intend to execute them at the end of the week."

"Good to know you're familiar with what is happening. I believe it would make a good public statement for all Shinra executives to show support and unity. I will expect you in Junon in no less than four days."

"You should also be familiar with all the damage that is being accumulated with the attack of these WEAPONs," the Urban Development director replied. "I would not be anywhere near as productive in Junon as I am here."

"You can easily have the paperwork forwarded to you. I know you're against capital punishment but this is highly important."

Reeve sighed but understood he was on thin ice already. Cait Sith's presence may indicate that he knew nothing of the escape of AVALANCHE, but his behavior recently would still raise several eyebrows if anyone gave it any scrutiny.

"Fine then, I'll be ready for a quick trip in four days. Will transportation be provided?"

"But of course," Rufus replied in his most generous sounding tone. "On Thursday evening there will be a helicopter ready to pick up you and several others I have asked to come."

Rufus hung up then and Reeve made a note of the date. He would have to advise Rachas and the others about his impending visit. Maybe she'd cook something like she had in Gongaga the night before disappearing to go to the Forgotten City…

He shook his head to clear it of those thoughts. There was work he needed to do and now was no time for fantasies. Picking up his personal PHS, he dialed in a number that had quickly become familiar to him. The phone rang twice before it was answered.

"Hello?"

"Good morning," Reeve said as he felt a smile appear on his face.

"Good morning! How are you doing?"

"Well enough. Rufus has declared that he wants the executives to come to Junon in a few days."

"So we'll get to see you?"

"Yes, I'll be arriving late Thursday." Reeve replied then smiled again when he heard a peppy voice in the background demand to know who was on the phone. "How are things there?"

"Everyone is getting a bit stir-crazy and we've only been here for one day! Can't tell you how many times I've had to slap Yuffie's hands off of tools or bits of machinery."

"I don't mind her trying to figure out some of those projects."

"I think you would mind her approaching your radio with a hammer."

He laughed at the thought. "If it's the one in the living room with the horrific crackle then let her go at it. I've been meaning to replace it for a while now."

"Thanks, she'll be thrilled!"

Conversation tapered on from there and before Reeve knew it, almost twenty minutes had passed.

"I have to go now, I'll see you soon."

"Alright, and be careful."

They hung up then and Reeve turned to his paperwork, intent to get through as much of it as he could.

_**Normal**_

By switching out the hammer with a screwdriver and having Yuffie disassemble the radio piece by piece, we were able to keep her busy for all of ten minutes and then we really had to get creative on how to distract her. She climbed the walls, jumped on couches, and attempted to draw the rest of us into indoor sparring matches.

Vincent suggested she work on her stealth and see how long it would take us to find her in the house but that didn't work so well. Seeing an opportunity for semi-practical application though, I had Aeris practice weaving nets of disinterest around herself and see how well she could maintain them while moving around Vincent, Yuffie, Red, and Kunsel. She had a bit of trouble maintaining them especially around Vincent but managed to slip past their notice over half the time.

Aeris and I also had another training session for entering the mind of another which led to me suffering the second migraine I'd ever had in my life.

Cid didn't call the entire day and that seriously drove the lot of us crazy.

Tuesday was a bit better in that Reeve visited us for several hours through Cait Sith and we were able to get a plan set for what to do if Cid wasn't able to convince the Highwind crew to abandon Shinra.

On Wednesday we ran out of food and despite the warnings of everyone, I ventured out to a market for more. The entire time I kept a net of disinterest around me so thick that no one on the street so much as looked at me. Despite it all though, I sweated the entire time I was out there, especially when I got in line to pay the cashier for the food. It was beyond tedious to lower the net enough that people recognized that I was a person but to have no interest in my features. While out I also picked up another jacket and pair of cargos.

After getting back to the house, I spent the rest of the day running back to the window, paranoid that someone had seen through my precautionary net and had called Shinra.

Cid called that afternoon and was pleased to say that he had convinced the entire crew of the Highwind to join us and leave Shinra. He would be rejoining us shortly after seven that night which is when a changing of the guards would occur. There was just one last point of our plan we had yet to agree upon which was the most disturbing aspect: no one knew Sapphire Weapon was supposed to attack so there was some dispute over what we should do as a distraction to draw the attention of Shinra while Cait Sith helped Barret and Tifa escape.

I voted for using explosive charges to draw attention. Yuffie voted we all bust in. Kunsel thought it best that we all make appearances to raise alarms. This argument lasted for the rest of the day until we all decided to sleep on it.

Thursday dawned bright and we all moved restlessly around the house, eager to get moving again but unfortunately there was still another few days left before the plan could be put into action.

For the first time since we arrived at the house I visited the garden outside. It was more of a small, private courtyard than anything complete with a bench where I sat with the scroll for building the spirit sword. I had already decided that while a wood hilt would probably be easiest to make, a metal one might suit me better since I really wasn't a very traditional Cetra in many aspects. It would take a bit of work and I may have to meet with a smith… Mythril!

My eyes widened as I realized that if I could get my hands on some mythril then I could trade it for Great Gospel and hopefully instructions on forging the hilt! We'd have some time hopefully between some of the upcoming missions or maybe I'd get lucky.

That left the problem of which materia was the one that suited me the most. I had always viewed myself as a wind element as a person: I was flighty, loved to travel, and had no need to always have someone there. But when I had used the only wind materia we had, Choco/Mog, it hadn't felt inherently right, almost forced. The materia I had all felt somewhat wrong also, the one that had always felt right had been the ice I had passed on to Cait though I knew ice wasn't my element.

Groaning, I set the scroll aside and began to wonder if perhaps I could use a materia that felt almost right then remembered the scroll was adamant on using the materia that suited me best. One of the reasons it took so long for Cetra to build these weapons in the past wasn't the mastering of the materia, it was coming to know themselves as they really were and not who they perceived themselves as. Looks like I'd have to do some serious evaluation and probably poll everyone on what they thought of my personality. Unfortunately the ones I had been around the longest were not currently present.

Reeve called at slightly past noon to say he'd be joining us that night and not to wait up for him since it was likely to be late before he got in.

Arguments were bound to happen as the day progressed and tensions due to inactivity rose. Kunsel insisted upon being used as Aeris's test subject today for entering the mind of another due to boredom and Vincent surprisingly enough wanted to watch. Aeris had gotten better during the few days of practice we had had and did pretty well since at the end of it Kunsel just had a mild headache.

Red paced the house while Yuffie finally engaged Kunsel in thumb wrestling. Aeris found some books in previous days and had been reading through them.

I finally pulled out Lucrecia Crescent's journal again and read through much of the rest of the journal. After Chaos there were mentions of things called Omega, Protomateria, and a cave. It didn't seem that I would be getting anything else from this book so I decided to pass it along. Vincent had taken up his own little corner in one of the downstairs rooms and seemed to be cleaning his gun when I found him.

"Vincent," I called then held out the book for him.

The red eyed man stared at the book for a moment before taking. "Lucrecia… Where did you find this?" he demanded.

"Nibelheim, right after we encountered you and then Sephiroth in the labs. You mentioned her name so I thought there would be something in there to help."

Vincent nodded then set the book down next to him and stared at the memento. "Did she mention… Chaos?"

"Yes." Vincent seemed to slump in front of me visibly. "She mentioned a man who had been hurt so badly that she resorted to using a being called Chaos in order to save him."

Vincent looked confused as he stared at the book. "I think I may need to read this for myself. Have you told anyone?"

"No, that'll be up to you."

My watch indicated five then and seeing nothing else to do, I pulled Aeris into the kitchen with me and we began to make a light meal. Kunsel joined us also and proved to be rather talented at chopping the vegetables that went into the soup.

Dinner passed quickly and after the dishes had been dealt with Yuffie looked for an interesting program on the television for most of us to watch. Vincent didn't join us so I assumed he was reading the journal of Lucrecia.

"So, what is this about anyway?" Kunsel asked as he plopped down on a couch next to Yuffie.

"A movie called SOLDIERs vs. Ninjas!" Yuffie exclaimed happily as the opening scenes began. "Let's see some kick ass ninjas!"

"Umm… Yuffie, outside of Wutai…" Kunsel tried to warn but promptly got hushed by the mini ninja as the movie began.

I don't think I have ever seen such a disgusting piece of propaganda as this filth that presented itself as a movie. The SOLDIERs presented in the film weren't the Holy Trinity; they were regular troops that were engaging against the Crescent Unit. The SOLDIERs were presented as honorable and humble beings whereas the ninjas stabbed children and comrades alike if they even thought they were disagreeing with them. Yuffie was angry beyond belief inside of twenty minutes and started surfing through the other channels.

Nine finally rolled around and everyone dispersed and either headed upstairs to bed or got comfortable on the couches. Cid rolled through the door then, clearly having imbibed in some liquor before rejoining us. He passed out on the couch across from Red while the rest of us headed upstairs.

_**Reeve**_

The flight to Junon wasn't a bad one though the pilot for the helicopter was a few minutes late. He used the time for the flight to finish the last of his paperwork. His secretary already had been advised that he would be in Junon through Sunday at least and would forward his paperwork as necessary.

The flight itself took an hour and a half which put them in Junon at nine at night. Unsurprisingly Rufus called a meeting to greet everyone as well as lay out the rules for how they were all to act and the general responses they were to give.

Everyone was finally released at the better part of ten at night and Reeve groaned as he walked out to the street, eager to get to his house. Beside him one of the representatives from the Financial Department laughed.

"Long day for you too?" the man asked as Reeve loosened his tie a bit.

"It was, I'm looking forward to my house tonight."

"You attending the execution on Sunday? I know they said it wasn't mandatory, but these are terrorists they're finally putting down."

Reeve almost flinched at the way the man had referred to people he could now say he saw as friends. "No, I'm not for capital punishment."

"Kya-ha-ha! Too bad you feel that way," an irritating voice stated from behind them. Much to his displeasure, the Financial Department man had affected a slightly goofy grin as they turned to face the new arrival.

Scarlet's dress was just as overly formal as always and far too low cut. She offered Reeve her version of a saucy smirk while completely ignoring the other man. "I was planning to ask you for the pleasure of your company during the following press conference."

Her form sickened him a bit and her flirtatious attitude was not appreciated. "I'm no good before a camera, I'm certain though you will have no problem finding another suitable person."

Scarlet's eyes darkened momentarily and he was certain he saw the lines that indicated the beginnings of a sneer that she turned into a sugary smile before turning and heading away.

"I can't believe you turned down Scarlet!" his companion stated in a flabbergasted manner moments later as they continued down the street to where several company cars awaited to ferry them to their neighborhoods or hotels.

"I'm really no good before cameras, she's better off to choose someone else." Reeve climbed into one of the waiting cars as his companion walked to the other side and told the driver the name of his neighborhood.

A few minutes later and he got out of the car just up the street from where his house was. The entire building was dark so it looked like his guests were doing well of keeping their presence on the down low. Unlocking the door, he entered the main foyer and closed the door again, locking it once more. He saw a canine head appear over the back of one of his couches and heard snores coming from the other.

"Is everyone already asleep?" he whispered and the features on the head seemed to relax.

"Yes, they turned in over an hour ago," was the quiet response.

"Alright then, I'll see you in the morning." Leaving his briefcase on one of the few open counters, Reeve walked quietly through the house to the stairs and climbed them to the second floor then walked to his room at the end of the hall.

Not even bothering to turn on the lights, he pulled his pajamas from his overnight bag and changed before pulling back the covers and slipping into bed.

Turning over slightly, he was surprised when he came in contact with another body in his bed. The person didn't react until he reached over and turned on the bedside lamp then he was staring into a sleepy pair of blue eyes framed by blond hair.

"W-what?" Rachas blinked at him sleepily for a moment then seemed to realize the situation. "Oh! Uh, sorry. I didn't know this was your room," she sat up and began to scoot to the edge of the bed. "I'll find somewhere else."

Reeve held up a hand to halt her. "No, you're my guest; I'll go to another room."

"It's ok, I'll just bunk with Aeris and Yuffie," she said before he caught her arm.

"Aeris and Yuffie? I'll just go," he insisted.

"Where? Vincent and Kunsel are in the other rooms and Cid and Red have the couches."

"Then we can share," Reeve said and felt his face heating up at his own suggestion. "There's plenty of room."

Rachas looked hesitant before glancing at him. "Are you sure of that?"

"Yes, there's plenty of room for us both." He wondered if he sounded more certain than he felt.

Rachas slid back into the opposite side of the bed and he turned and shut off the light.


	38. Chapter 38

Tori: (starry eyes) Last chapter ended in such a CUTE way!

SA: I know you gotta break up the action one way or another…

Zas: Action in this chapter?

Saria: (AH-Choo) Maybe… Oh, and if anyone wonders what Rachas looks like the Avatar I've posted is her, made from the point of view of Reeve through Cait Sith while in Wutai when they stargaze together.

zzzzzzzzzz

Warm and comfortable. That was how I felt this morning as I woke. The bed was soft and the light from the sun was just starting to peak through the blinds of the room. The only thing that was really ruining this moment was an odd sound that sounded a lot like someone giggling.

Wait a moment, giggling?

Sitting up I found that at some point during the night I had shifted to the center of the bed and currently there was an arm that didn't belong to me wrapped around my waist.

My face flushed hot as I turned and saw Reeve next to me, his eyes blinking slightly to show he had just woken as well.

"Morning," he murmured, sitting up as well and placing a kiss on my cheek.

At this point the giggling turned into full blown laughter and we both turned to see Yuffie standing in the door. She was almost doubled over in laughter right then, and I felt my face flush hotter than ever.

"Why is this so funny?" I asked the moment I found my voice and if possible Yuffie began to laugh harder before turning and running out of the door.

"The entire house will know in about thirty seconds," Reeve stated.

"I was banking on twenty." Sure enough, right after saying that Yuffie's voice reached us, yelling "Guess what! Guess what!" quite loudly.

"How about breakfast?" I asked as I pulled myself from the bed then and grabbed my pants from the floor where I had left them the night previous.

"Sounds good. Are those my boxers by any chance?"

I blushed as I quickly changed. "I hope you don't mind, I really don't have anything else at the moment."

Reeve changed as well while I headed down to the kitchen, fully prepared to be hazed by both Yuffie and Cid. I wasn't totally disappointed.

"Moves fast! Was it over just as fast?" Cid yelled after a catcall.

I didn't deign to respond as I walked into the kitchen and pulled out pancake mix, blueberries, and butter.

"So, one fucking date and you're already making him breakfast?"

The skillet looked like it would make a nice friend for Cid's head but I chose to relent and have my revenge in another way. "Anyone want blueberry pancakes?"

"I do! I do!" Yuffie bounced into the room, Kunsel right after her. "Have fun last night?"

Kunsel saved me from having to respond by giving her a gentle knock on the head, a grin on his face. Aeris was right behind them, a smile on her face as well.

"He seems like a good man," she said as she took the skillet that I was still contemplating and set it on the stove.

"Hope he's ready to stand up against two SOLDIERs," Kunsel added with a smirk.

I stared at him. "Why do you say that?"

"Cloud at the very least views you as a sister. When he hears of this he'll be sure to grill this guy thoroughly and Zack will be backing him."

"Easy now, I'm sure we can talk this through!" Reeve entered the kitchen then, a smile on his face. "We all seem capable of agreeing that Sephiroth needs to be stopped and Shinra is in the wrong now."

"Morning!" Yuffie laughed then winked at Reeve. "And welcome to your first official meeting with AVALANCHE!"

"I wish it could have been under better circumstances. How are the lot of you holding up?"

"This is so BORING!" Yuffie exclaimed as she raised her arms. "We're supposed to be fighting Shinra, saving our friends, and gathering treasure, not sitting around!"

"We'll be moving soon enough," Vincent stated as he walked past the door to the living room where Cid lounged.

"Doom and gloom is right! Day after tomorrow we'll see plenty of action so long as those fuckers on my crew don't bale."

"We'll really see action if that happens." Kunsel draped his arm over the mini ninja's shoulders and guided her out of the kitchen as well while Reeve approached the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of juice.

"Need any help?" he asked as he pulled out a glass.

"Would you pull out some plates and forks?" I asked while directing Aeris to the fridge where there should be bacon and some meat for Red.

Reeve stacked the plates and utensils next to me on the counter then offered a quick kiss before taking his juice out to the dining area.

The pancakes were finished quickly enough as was the bacon and Red's meat. Aeris and I set the food on the dining room table and let everyone serve themselves.

"So, Rufus has ordered the executives to come to Junon for the execution?" Kunsel asked after he had served himself and taken a seat.

Reeve nodded, his expression tight. "He believes it will give the public the belief that Shinra is still in control and standing unified against a threat."

"He has some sense then," Vincent had joined us for the breakfast.

"That shithead can play people like a violin."

"You'll have to attend some events then as an executive?" Red asked from the end of the table.

"Yes, some of which will be a conference for rebuilding and disaster relief this afternoon and a dinner tomorrow. Luckily I won't have to be in attendance of the execution. It does give me some time to work on some of my ideas for instrument that Cait can use while undercover since his megaphone won't be available."

As though called by his name, Cait appeared in the door then and jumped into Reeve's lap. "Ideas? As in new weapons?"

"Temporary ones," Reeve emphasized. "I'm building a microphone to go with your façade as a reporter, one that will emit a sleeping gas to temporarily knock someone out."

"Anything else?" Cait bounced in his lap slightly, excitement obvious.

Reeve shook his head then and the robotic cat's ears drooped.

"What about a disguised multi-tool in case they need to pick a lock?" I suggested.

After a moment of thought Reeve nodded. "Nothing too heavy, I have already included the universal handcuff key for Shinra."

Breakfast ended soon and Kunsel volunteered himself and Yuffie for the dishes. Vincent seemed to disappear back into the house while went back to the living room, the television snapping on a moment later. Red and Aeris wandered out to the garden area and Reeve retrieved his briefcase, Cait Sith walking along behind him. I walked out with Aeris and Red for a few minutes and enjoyed a few minutes of sunshine before heading back in.

Reeve was working at one of the work stations in the various rooms on the first floor, the door wide open. Curious as to what he had, I knocked lightly on the door.

"Something I can help you with?"

"What are you working on?"

"The microphone for Cait Sith. Would you like to see?" Cit Sith was also sitting at the bench and waved jovially as I entered, first looking over the blueprints he had obviously drawn up hurriedly. It looked sound to me though the gas wouldn't knock anyone out for longer than a few minutes.

"Would you hand me the needle head pliers?" Absently I grabbed the tool and handed it to him before turning my attention to the next table over. This one held the blueprint for the machine he was working on and I couldn't help but laugh slightly.

"What's so funny?" Cait Sith asked as he jumped across to the table I was at.

"The note that says 'No voice box so I don't have to deal with smart comments'."

"Smart comments?" Cait Sith jumped and looked as indignant as he could.

"You make quite a few of those," Reeve's voice called over. "This is almost done, it will just need to be tested."

"You can use it on me after Aeris's training today."

"Is it really that bad?"

I dared to glance over at Reeve then and our eyes met. I turned my head slightly to hide my blush before replying. "It's not as bad as it was when she first started. I can't even imagine how bad it was for the guys I first practiced on."

"You said that you can attack people like that but you've never done so, why is that?"

"Because it's terrible to do."

"How?"

I remembered my previous times of touching the mind of another before replying. "When you enter the mind of someone you come to know them more intimately than anyone. They are a part of you. Everything is when you use the power of the Planet. You are keenly aware of their pain whenever you harm someone, especially with mental warfare such as what I'm teaching her."

Reeve shook his head slightly, obviously disturbed by the thought. "It must take a lot of conviction to actually do something like that. And you've never done it before?"

"I view it as a last resort."

"As you should." Reeve's tone sounded approving.

"…I almost used it in the Northern Crater," I admitted hesitantly.

Reeve stiffened slightly and I found myself trying to explain quickly.

"Everything was going crazy and Cloud had just taken the Black Materia and Hojo was laughing, he even seemed gleeful at the whole situation. I yelled at him about it and he brushed it off… just declaring me a critic. Tifa pointed out everyone was going to die if Meteor was summoned… and I couldn't help it when he couldn't seem to care less. I lashed out, intent to maim him mentally." I was tearing up now, angry at not preventing the situation from becoming what it was. Angry for not trying to collapse Hojo's mind sooner. Angry for not still trying even after sensing Jenova within him.

Reeve's arms circled me then, hugging me gently. "I have never been much of a fighter myself, but if I had such a power I know I would have tried to do the same, probably sooner than you did."

I wasn't prepared when his lips met mine, but it was still a very nice kiss.

The rest of the day I was pretty sure I sported a bright blush that should have afforded me the nickname of "tomato", I hadn't seen many men back on Earth for the simple reason that I was never anywhere long enough to make a relationship so it had been a while since I had last been kissed.

I took Aeris to a private room for an early lesson that day and found my headache afterwards wasn't a bad one at all. It was barely worse than one of the ones I had whenever my blood sugar was too low.

Reeve departed for his conference at two in the afternoon and AVALANCHE collected around the television to watch the proceedings of the conference. Reporters were only allowed in if they agreed to not ask questions until after but that didn't stop a number of them from trying to pump for information as the conference attendees were heading in. Reeve seemed to be a particular favorite as the Director of Urban Development and we watched him get bombarded with questions left and right that ranged from professional to personal topics.

He remained very calm throughout the proceedings and answered the professional questions that didn't infringe upon the department of another and directed them to an appropriate person when they were asked.

Scarlet appeared on the screen then next to Reeve and could be seen trying to take his arm. Reeve tried to extract his arm without appearing obvious.

"That bitch don't care he ain't interested," Cid yelled at the set. "Don't she have any other toys to bother?"

"Most likely though she won't care," Kunsel informed us. "Everyone knows she has a thing for Tseng even if he dismisses her each time. Currently he wouldn't be available due to injury, Rufus is out of reach, and she hates Heidegger. Reeve is the next highest on the panel plus he rejects her which makes him more desirable to her for now."

My fists clenched the entire time that Scarlet appeared with Reeve.

The proceedings began and soon enough Reeve was arguing about what areas needed the most help; if troops should be deployed in greater majority to face the WEAPONs or in aiding civilians, whether greater emphasis should be in providing water or shelter or in evacuation of certain areas.

Yuffie was the first to get bored and wandered away along with Cid. Aeris left next and Cait Sith wandered away with her. The rest of us sat through the entire program which got increasingly annoying as the business people began to bicker over what was more cost effective. Some of the people were like Reeve and seemed to authentically care but they were few and far between. Heidegger and Scarlet were there and the worst part of the conference was when they both completely ignored the topic of civilians and pushed for weapons and troops to be the principle investments.

The fiasco ended with nothing really being decided, or at least the decision wasn't announced within hearing range of the reporters.

Seeing no reason to keep watching the departing procedures and it being just after five, I called Aeris into the kitchen and had her help with making dinner. The menu that night was angel hair pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, capers, and arugula. Cid had found a grill earlier that day and it didn't take much convincing to get him to fire it up and grill some chicken breasts though I did get a little nervous when I saw how much lighter fluid he used. Had to wonder afterwards if his normal idea for grilling involved rockets and dynamite.

Reeve arrived back at the house looking more than a little worn and wasted no time running upstairs to change. We were ready to eat when he did emerge.

"That has got to be the worst job in the world!" Yuffie declared over her plate of pasta. "I can barely stand listening to the town leaders at home, and these guys seemed consumed with money."

"That is normal," Reeve admitted as he seated himself. "Most of them aren't that bad, but I will admit certain ones do get on my nerves."

"Just go ahead and say it, you hate the red bitch!" Cid called from halfway down the table. "Can't believe she tried to ask you on camera to the dinner!"

Thank god I had just swallowed or else I would have choked. "When did that happen?"

"Right when he was leaving," Kunsel replied.

"The President announced that he wanted the Directors to show up with dates and to RSVP with them by tomorrow morning." For his part, Reeve looked more than a little ill.

"And Scarlet jumped at an opportunity?" Kunsel sounded understanding at least.

"Right after she determined that Tseng was still on medical leave," Reeve confirmed with a grimace.

"Was a decision actually made or did the cameras really catch everything that happened?" I asked, eager to change the subject.

"Yes, I would like to hear that myself," Red's head appeared at the end of the table.

Reeve sighed and set down his fork. "The President had already made a decision, today's meeting was just a show that none of us knew about until after. Fifteen percent of funds allocated to dealing with the WEAPONs and the destruction they cause will go to emergency relief and about ten percent of the troops to aiding civilians."

"Better than what he said he would use to aid civilians the first time we encountered him," I replied, feeling a little sick myself. Maybe it would seem like more when converted to actual numbers, but in the grand comparison it was obvious which he considered most important.

"Any plans yet on how they'll deal with Meteor?" Vincent spoke up now.

"If there are, then Weapons is really keeping them under wraps."

Conversation tapered then and soon the dishes were gathered by Kunsel and surprisingly Vincent. Cid turned the tv back on and the Shinra soirée was the unsurprising story. On the screen were several spokespeople for Shinra that were answering questions, confirming that they didn't have the rest of us in custody but were hot on our trail. They claimed that some hero of a civilian who lived in a community just to the south of Junon had called in a sighting and they had confirmed it already with their Department of Administrative Research.

"Really tryin to make this fuckin investigation seem real!" Cid announced with a laugh.

_**Shinra**_

Hojo grinned viciously as the transport finally set down. It was no big mental feat to guess that AVALANCHE would try to rescue their remaining members either tomorrow or on the day of the execution. And when they showed up he would capture his wayward specimens.

Inside he checked the restraints, wanting to insure they could hold the powerful bodies of his specimens even if they were upset and not allow them to damage themselves. He also made sure that the stores of sedatives were already measured and labeled in case one or more of them got rowdy.

Satisfied, he nodded to the troops who would be carrying out the capture and transport. They already knew what their jobs were and looked eager to carry them out.

_**Normal**_

That night I honestly tried to bunk with either Aeris or Yuffie and found that they had shared the one room for the last several days. Three women in one bed proved to not be very comfortable especially since Yuffie was a kicker (no surprise there) and Aeris a sprawler (big surprise actually).

Under an hour after attempting to bunk with them and I was downstairs, trying to find an open table or couch and changed my mind upon hearing Cid's snores. I have no clue how Red was able to sleep through that racket!

Unwilling to disturb either Vincent or Kunsel left me with one choice. Reeve hadn't seemed surprised when I entered the room either; he was sitting up in bed actually and reading a book.

"I never intended to have so many people visit me here," he said as I walked over to the bed.

"Do you mind…"

"Not at all."

Our eyes met again and I blushed before climbing into the bed and turning to face the window.

The next day started out much the way the previous one had. Yuffie came in while we were still asleep and woke us up with her laughter before we headed downstairs and had breakfast.

Aeris had her last training session for mental invasion and I finally had my revenge on Cid by making him the target that Aeris had to invade. The point was for her to enter his mind and have him serve lunch to everyone and she passed surprisingly well though my personal touch was making him wear the flowery apron that belonged to Reeve's mother. My only regret was not having a camera handy when he snapped out of the stupor that occurs when ideas are planted.

Reeve also produced a file of pictures that day of Marlene, Mrs. Gainsborough, Jessie, and Wedge. "I promised Barret pictures of her," he told Aeris as he handed the file to her.

"I'll make sure he gets them," Aeris assured him as she looked through the photos herself and drank in the images, especially those of her mother.

The plans for the distraction had been finalized yesterday; tomorrow Aeris, Red, and Cid would head straight for the airship. Cait Sith and Yuffie would be disguised as reporters and while Cait Sith actually entered the press room Yuffie would wait outside in case they needed back up. Kunsel, Vincent, and I would be scattered through the city with me being closest to Yuffie and the hopeful escapees. I would fall back with them while Vincent and Kunsel would be further away, hopefully drawing attention. I would only try to attract attention if there were still too many troops by the exit and run immediately. Knowing that Sapphire WEAPON would be arriving tomorrow though put my mind at ease.

Reeve received a phone call after lunch from one of his subordinates asking that he come in and help with some of the details being presented at a meeting that afternoon. He wouldn't have enough time to come back between that meeting and when the dinner was scheduled so he bid us all a good day before departing.

As lame as it was, I watched the news that night when the reporters went through the attendees for the Shinra dinner. Rufus arrived with a beautiful woman on arm whose name was never mentioned, Scarlet looked to barely be holding a smile as she arrived with a nameless man as well. Heidegger had a woman on arm who you could tell was charging by the minute. Reeve had told us he had invited a woman from his own department so it surprised me when he showed up alone.

Knowing tomorrow would be another long day; we all turned in early once again. This time I didn't even bother to look for another place to sleep and simply went to Reeve's room.

I barely stirred when Reeve came back that night at a very late hour but I was aware of his return.

The next morning we weren't awakened by Yuffie's giggles but by Aeris knocking on the door to tell us that she, Red, and Cid were heading out.

"We'll call you if any o' my crew turn chickenshit!" Cid declared jovially.

"You'll call us when you get there," Vincent insisted.

"See you in a few hours," Kunsel reassured them all. While he did that, I noticed Aeris biting her lip.

"Something wrong?" I asked her quietly.

Aeris glanced around then whispered in my ear, "Run to the end of the cannon."

My eyes widened at her words, the ones I was certain she whispered to Tifa in the game from the Lifestream. Was she just a bit confused right now?

"We'll all be fine," I assured her as Cid grabbed her hand and led her to the door. As luck would have it, it was raining at the moment so Red was already draped in a poncho as were Aeris and Cid. With the hoods up they would hardly be recognizable.

The rest of the morning passed in silence with us first waiting for the call from Cid that they were all safely aboard the airship then after receiving it, we dressed Cait Sith in his disguise as well as Yuffie. Both the robot and the girl complained quite loudly about the clothes.

"This is ridiculous!" Cait Sith insisted as he and his mog were wrapped into the costume to make them look like a short, fat reporter. Reeve had already pulled some strings to insure that Cait would get into the room even if he himself wouldn't be there.

Yuffie didn't look any happier on the other side of the room. "At least you don't look like a prude!" She had been dressed in a straight black skirt, a blouse, and a glassless pair of glasses. Her normal top and shorts were on underneath so she could remove the disguise immediately the moment she was mobilized but still she complained.

"You don't look that bad!" Kunsel insisted. "Prettiest reporter I've ever seen."

Yuffie blushed but her pout remained in place.

Three in the afternoon came and we decided it was time to start getting into position. The event was to begin at six but we all felt it best to scout out the areas that we were going to be running from.

Vincent left first; he had the farthest to go and would attract the most attention with his claw. Luckily he knew how to slip through the shadows and not be seen until he wanted to be. Kunsel left fifteen minutes after him, after giving Yuffie a tight hug, a hood pulled over his head.

"I'll see you soon," he promised before ducking out the door.

Fifteen minutes later it was my turn and as I pulled the hood of my green jacket up, I was stopped by Reeve's hand. Turning, I met his eyes and saw that he was desperately trying to say something.

"See you again soon. Take care until then," I said, my own voice shaking.

"Rachas…" he grabbed my hand then and pressed something into my hand. "My mother made that for me, so bring it back."

Looking at my hand, I saw a handkerchief of white with a light pink floral pattern. Though I was no fan of pink, even I had to admit this was quite beautiful.

"I will," I promised before ducking out of the door after giving his hand a parting squeeze.

I glanced back several times before turning the corner and losing sight of the house.

To say I was nervous was to put things a little too mildly. I was nervous and scared, more so than I had ever been in my life. Sapphire WEAPON would be attacking Junon and the chaos should cover our escape but for some inexplicable reason I had a feeling in my gut that something wasn't right.

My first visit to Junon had been a mad dash across the city during the Presidential Parade, this second visit involved me having my nets of disinterest cast as thick and broadly as I could manage. Just as before no one on the street so much as looked at me though I made it a point to avoid all robots.

Kunsel had drawn a very detailed map of Junon that included all checkpoints and hot spots for military searches and had drilled everyone on the routes they would take through Junon. Mine was a long, complicated route that took me through back alleys, a warehouse district, and skirted the central base area before I'd reach my standby point. From there it would just be a 2-3 minute run to the airship.

There wasn't anything that I encountered that could even remotely be called a 'close call', I was ignored by everyone. But I kept my hood up just the same and kept my visual scan going.

_**Barret**_

It had been seven long days since Rufus had "saved" AVALANCHE and brought them all to Junon. Six and a half since everyone else had escaped.

They had interrogated him as to where the others had gone but he could honestly say that he didn't know.

He and Tifa had been locked in what could best be described as either an old medical treatment room or a cleared out lab. She hadn't yet woken, but her shifting told him that it wouldn't be long until she did. The fluttering of her eyes alerted him to her regaining her consciousness.

"You okay?" he asked, uncertain of what else to say. It wasn't like he could tell her everything had been a dream and that Cloud and the rest of their friends were in the next room over.

"The glare..."

"You'll be better soon; you've been asleep a long time," He reassured.

"I'm... hungry..." She did sound pretty weak but he couldn't blame her.

"Hey, why don't you ask... about him." Barret didn't want to remind her of what had happened, but the sooner they got that out of the way, the sooner they could make a plan of escape themselves.

"...Because I'm scared." Tifa's voice was even more tired sounding now though she was starting to sit up.

"Don't worry; I don't know what happened to Cloud either." He walked over, but looked away and scratched his head. "I guess I shouldn't tell you not to worry, no one knows if he's alright."

"He's still... alive, right?" Barret didn't answer, unsure himself of their blond co-leader's condition.

"How long was I asleep?" Tifa asked as her eyes scanned the room.

"Lessee... must have been at least seven days," He said.

"What about Sephiroth?"

"You ain't over it yet?" Barret said, walking closer. "Remember that huge light at the Northern Cave? Since then the crater's been surrounded by a huge barrier of light. Everyone knows Sephiroth sleeps in that big hole, protected by the barrier. We can't do a damn thing about it either; we gotta wait till he wakes up." Tifa slowly sat up more and put her legs over the medical table, Barret continued. "On top of that, some huge monster called WEAPON is been on a rampage."

"WEAPON?" Tifa asked.

"Remember that huge monster that was at the bottom with Sephiroth? Well it's up here now; they say it's some legendary monster of the past."

"WEAPON... is protecting Sephiroth?"

"Don't know, but he's up here goin around and tearing shit up. Right now Rufus is fighting it. Hate to say it, but the man has guts." And boy did Barret hate to give Rufus a compliment like that.

"We shoulda been the ones to destroy it. But we ain't got time..."

"Time... what about Meteor?" She asked. Barret looked at her before motioning to the window. He pressed a button on the side of the wall that raised the blinds.

In the middle of the sky was a giant hunk of rock, surrounded by swirling red energy and already closing in on the planet. Tifa stood in shock and awe at the mass aimed at the world, bent on nearly destroying it.

"Do we have to give up?"

"...dunno." Barret mumbled, almost to himself.

Before she could ask any more difficult questions the door popped open and Rufus walked in.

"I thought that Cloud and Zack would show up to save you all…" he stated in his usual pompous manner as he sauntered into the room. "Professor Hojo wanted to check on them as well."

"What are you going to do to them?" Tifa demanded angrily.

"Sephiroth's alter ego… Meteor has been summoned… It's all but over now. So there is no need for you now." Rufus then seemed to give them a long, contemplative look as he stepped closer. "No, maybe there is an important task for you…"

As if on cue, another man that Barret recognized as Heidegger walked in, his highly decorated uniform gleaming with awards that Barret seriously doubted the man earned or deserved.

"President, preparations for the public execution are complete."

"Execution?" Barret's mind hung on the word; he had been certain himself that he and Tifa would get an opportunity to do something. "What're you gonna get by executin us?"

"You are to be executed for causing this situation," Rufus replied, his cold eyes glinting. "People are ignorant. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished."

"I take back what little praise I had for this damn jackass!" Barret announced to Tifa.

"Well, enjoy your last moments together." The dismissive response caused Barret's blood to boil hotter than ever as the prick left the room.

"I'll tie your arms now," Heidegger stated with a snicker as several armed guards entered the room and leveled their weapons at them.

_**Normal**_

I had now been at my post for a little over an hour, slowly wandering up and down the street, stopping at the occasional stall so that I would appear normal to any cameras or robots that may be in the area.

Yuffie had arrived about five minutes ago which was my cue that it was almost time.

Reaching into my coat pocket, I pulled out Reeve's handkerchief again and stared at the fabric. It really was pretty even if it wasn't something I ever would have chosen myself. Glancing out at the water, I began to distantly see a swell in the water and quickly shoved the memento back into my pocket.

A minute passed without anyone else noticing the growing swell, then two minutes. Then all hell broke loss!

Alarms began to go off in every direction and metal plates rose up, blocking the entrances to the shops and apartments. MPs rushed in every direction, weapons in hand while the large cannon began to emit a loud humming. Civilians dropped whatever they were doing and began to run in order to clear the streets and I was bowled over almost instantly. My concentration was broken and my hood fell down but there was so much panic all around me that nobody noticed.

Not even bothering to pull my hood back up, I jumped back to my feet, did a quick cursory search to locate Yuffie, and then rewove my nets as the streets cleared.

_**Shinra**_

"Keep scanning," Hojo ordered in the control room. "They are bound to show up any moment now."

"Found two," one of the monitors reported mechanically. "The female is located on the southern end of the central complex. One of the males is on the third level to the north of the central complex."

"Right where I thought one would be, ha ha ha!" Hojo declared with a smirk as he checked the camera. "Send in the containment teams!"

_**Normal**_

The blast of the cannon was ear shattering and I could literally feel the ground vibrating beneath my feet. Everything was silent and still for a moment while everyone watched the blast race out towards WEAPON. Unsurprisingly it didn't hit.

"Haven't these guys ever heard "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes"?" I groaned before another noise reached my ears and a nearby wall seemed to collapse.

Not daring to move, I wove my net thicker than ever as several heavily armed men and women rushed out followed closely by a blue version of the Hulk.

The Hulk walked onto the street heavily then looked around as though he were confused about something. Wait a minute… Haven't I seen this guy somewhere?

"I don't see anyone matching the description given," Hulk reported into a small radio.

"She's almost right next to you," a voice squawked through the radio. "Just swing your arm and you should find her."

The Hulk blinked then did as the voice suggested and swung his arm. I stumbled back, barely dodging the swing, and then suddenly realized that this guy now stood between me and the airfield.

"Move forward, she dodged," that blasted radio squawked.

"Come and fight," the Hulk declared as he swung his arm again and I backed up again. Another swing and I was backing up again. However strong this guy might be, he wasn't fast enough to catch me right now and if I used the Jedi speed then I should be able to get away easily. And like it or not, he was blocking the escape route of Barret and Cait Sith with camera support so even if he couldn't see me, someone in communication with him could!

"Azul, stop playing around. The Professor wants that sample secured."

Azul? As in Dirge of Cerberus Azul? What the hell was he doing here? I was quite certain he wasn't here previously!

Azul let out a roar then that startled me enough to trip and my nets went down almost instantly.

"Hell!" I yelped when the humungous man's eyes instantly focused on me and his support brought their arms to bear on me.

"Target in sight," Azul reported as he loomed above me.

Shoving back hard, I barely regained my feet before Azul's ham sized fist swept at me. Not even bothering to try to reform my nets, I raced down the street right as the sound of guns, rockets, and light cannons filled the air. A scream through the planet caused me to drop down as several projectiles zoomed over me.

Glancing back I saw that Azul was steadily approaching me, a vicious grin on his face. Lashing out with the power, I threw a cart at him as I continued my retreat then ripped the weapons from his support troops and hurled those at him. None of those did more than seem to annoy him and I was getting desperate quick.

Lashing out again, I tried to throw Azul himself back and found that I could barely move him more than a few feet. It seems retreat would be my only option at the moment so I turned heel and ran.

Entering the central complex, I found my path cut off by a group of infantrymen and took the first set of stairs up to the observation deck, completely missing Cait and Barret as they descended down the opposite set.

Charging through the hall of the first floor to the next set of stairs, I felt the floor groan loudly and the loud thumps in the hallway from my pursuer, his hot foul breath invading my senses as I reached for the power again and yanked several doors off their hinges in hopes of tripping him. A glance back showed that Azul was faster than I gave him credit for and he was starting to catch up to me. Pushing out again, I threw open the doors for the next set of stairs and began climbing again right as a massive hand closed around my ankle.

I yelped as the hand yanked me down and I hit the floor hard before a hand grabbed me by the front of my jacket and slammed me into the wall, thoroughly knocking my breath out.

"Such weakness, maybe I should just kill you and save the effort of taking you to Deepground," Azul sneered and seeing no other choice I lashed out again, attacking his mind directly this time. I had no intent to maim or anything of the sort, I just wanted him to let me go.

Azul's screech was as bad as the first cannon blast but my attack worked and he dropped me as his hands reached up to cradle his head.

"Azul? What happened?" the radio squawked again and I grabbed it with a quick pull before racing up the stairs as his reinforcements arrived. As I shoved through the next set of doors onto the next floor, I wondered what the hell I was supposed to do. I couldn't go back the other way; my stealth ability didn't work against cameras! I couldn't fight that guy off either; I was going to need someone to help me.

The tower began to hum then and I realized that they were powering up to fire the cannon again. Wait a moment, the cannon! Tifa would be picked up at the end of the cannon! Aeris's message this morning suddenly made a lot more sense and I only had several minutes left!

A roar from the stairwell I'd just left prompted me to start running again and I managed to make it to the next flight of stairs before Azul's thundering footsteps entered the hall.

"Get back here you pathetic little trickster!" his roar followed me up the stairs and I drew on the power to help me go faster. I had nothing to compare my speed to at the moment but the cracking in my ears told me that I was going very fast up the multiple levels that this staircase went. A quaking of the floor could be felt but occurred so slowly for me that it was hardly noticeable then the humming became an ear splitting burst of noise again.

Blowing though the next door, I heard the screams of a certain woman demanding another to open a door. Wasting no time, I ran to the chamber and used the power to forcefully open the solid door a few inches, just enough for me to squeeze through before turning and forcing them closed again.

"Azul?" the voice over the radio demanded. "Azul, report."

Tossing the radio into a corner, I ran back to the now open door of the gas chamber and found the crack in the wall caused by Sapphire. As I stepped up to it and prepared for the climb to the cannon, a loud noise came from the main door followed by what sounded like metal slowly being torn.

"I shall rip you to pieces!" Azul's muffled voice promised and I jumped out of the crack in the wall, barely catching myself on the ledge then began the slow circle to the front of the cannon. The climb was nerve wrecking, even with the power of the planet guiding me down. The metal of the tower had a number of bolts and dents to serve as handholds but the sea breeze left many of them slick to the point where they were treacherous. Then I was running down the barrel of the weapon, bits of flesh from Sapphire WEAPON's head scattered to and fro.

Above there was a yell and then a man in a bodysuit with glowing blue lines on it landed in a heap before me. He jerked on landing then was still.

Daring to glance up, I saw Azul pulling himself out of the rip in the building and he didn't look ready to climb down!

Turning, I began to run again and there was Tifa, Scarlet, and three MPs. Shoving through the MPs was no problem, they were too surprised to try to grab me. A loud "Thump" on the metal announced Azul had done what I thought and had jumped rather than climbed.

Scarlet had just lost the slapping match with Tifa so I used her as a vault to get closer to Tifa and the end of the cannon.

"How dare YOU!" Scarlet yelled when she got a good look at me.

"Tifa… back up to the end of the cannon slowly…" I whispered even as Azul lumbered up behind Scarlet, a smirk on his face.

"Surrender and your death will be relatively quick!" Azul ordered, his insane eyes glowering with hatred. This guy may have size and insanity on his side, but he didn't scare me even half as much as Jenova/Sephiroth had back in the Forgotten City.

"Take the blond alive, send the other off the end of the cannon!" Scarlet ordered with a smirk.

"They'll both die," Azul replied as he took a heavy step forward. "I shall crush both of their weak bodies."

Tifa and I both took a large step back as Azul took another lumbering step forward.

"We want the blond alive and she will be taken as such!" Scarlet ordered. "Her species is almost extinct and we want this one alive!"

"For what she did to me, she endangered herself," Azul took another step forward as Tifa and I retreated another.

"Hey Tif, you know I always considered myself a wind element," I said in a conversational tone as we retreated another large step even as Scarlet began to shout orders at Azul who ignored them.

"Why do you say that?"

"I've always been flighty, never putting down any real roots, and altogether trying to live a fanciful life where I would never regret anything."

"Any regrets at the moment?"

"Just one," I replied as I fingered the handkerchief in my pocket.

"So, which of you will die first?" Azul asked as he took another step forward, right as I heard the Planet whisper that it was time.

"Run!" I yelled as I wheeled around, Tifa's arm in hand and pulled her to the end of the cannon.

When we were still several feet away the Highwind rose from below the cannon, Barret and Cait Sith on the deck.

Drawing on the power once more, I launched the both of us towards the deck right as Barret pulled out a rope that he threw overboard for us to catch. That proved unnecessary as we both were able to latch onto the side of the undercarriage of the airship.

"Hold on!" Cait shouted as his mog grabbed my arm and tried to pull me onboard. A jerk in the line Barret had thrown caught all our attention and I glanced down and saw to my horror that just about six feet below me Azul had caught the line and he was climbing towards us, his eyes glinting madly at me.

"Cut the line!" Barret shouted as Azul began to slowly climb.

"With what?" Cait called back.

Calling to the power once again, I used it to pull one of my knives free and focused it on the rope. Because of the wind I couldn't swing the blade and had to resort to sawing at the line instead. Azul made his first grab at my leg right when the rope was cut halfway through and I desperately kicked my legs out to keep him from catching me but almost lost my grip. I probably would have if not for Cait Sith.

"I'll crush you limb by limb!" Azul promised and swiped at my legs again and once again I had to resort to swinging hard to my right to keep him from catching my foot. This time though I really did loss my grip with my left hand.

"We need help!" Cait shouted as Barret finally raced over.

The rope was now three-quarters of the way cut and was visibly straining under Azul's weight.

The Hulk made one more swipe at my legs but I wasn't able to dodge this time and he caught my foot in his massive fist right as Barret reached down and grabbed my left arm.

The rope finally snapped then and Azul plunged back to Junon, my shoe in hand.

Barret and Cait Sith easily hauled me onto the ship then and I just barely recovered my knife.

"What happened?" Barret demanded as soon as I was fully onboard.

"I got chased… by a juggernaut…" I responded between gasps for air. That was one of the scariest moments of my life.

"We know that! Why did you draw his attention?"

"They were after her specifically," Tifa called out. "While we were on the cannon Scarlet was demanding he capture her alive."

"How'd they find you?" Cait asked and his tone told me Reeve was in control.

"Cameras. They tracked me with cameras and told him where to go through a radio." I shivered as I realized just how close I had been to being caught and turned into a "science experiment" for Hojo.

"We should have realized," Reeve admitted. "We knew there was a special emphasis being placed on catching you and we stationed you without even a decent disguise at a very obvious location."

"Are Vincent and Kunsel ok?"

"Kunsel apparently had a run-in with a very powerful being also but barely managed to get away. Vincent had no troubles."

"Good…" I stated as I wobbled a bit, the world suddenly feeling very wobbly. Just how much of this story have I messed up?


	39. Chapter 39

Saria: Another chapter!

Tori: Sorry everyone, Saria accepted a charter that took us away from the internet through July 4th.

Saria: Don't remind me!

SA: Serves you right. Straight out of the hospital again and you accept the first job you find and you wind up making a trip to the backwoods!

Zas: Not too bad you know, she did find time to write at least.

Note: Kunsel's opponent is a Tsviet that only appeared on DoC Online which never released in the US. The reason is that I didn't think any other character would be good for an initial face-off for him.

zzzzzzzzzz

Yuffie wasn't on the deck suffering from airsickness which I found sort of surprising as Barret led us down into the airship itself. Aside from the top deck there were three floors with plenty of cabins for each of us to have our own room. The restrooms were communal but segregated by gender.

Stepping into the ship, I breathed deeply as a deep wave of happiness filled me. Not interested in seeing the rest of the ship just yet, I followed Cait/Reeve directly to the cockpit and rushed to the front window to stare in awe of the passing landscape. Cid attempted to jump in and say something but I ignored him almost completely as I drank in the feeling of finally flying again.

Tifa appeared several minutes later right as I was coming down from my high.

"Welcome to my airship- the Highwind!" Cid announced in a grandiose manner. Tifa walked past him and stared at the bridge in awe. "What's wrong? You guys should be more excited than this!"

"Cid…" Red chided from slightly off to the side where I finally noticed him. Aeris was next to Red and looked quite lost.

Surprisingly a pale Yuffie was also present, waste basket handy, standing next to a badly bruised Kunsel.

"Not enough crew," Tifa finally stated.

Cid shook his head in slight irritation. "Takes all kinds."

"Are you alright?" Reeve's voice now came from Cait Sith and I nodded.

"Just a little dizzy. I used a lot of power to get away from that guy, more than I've ever used at one time with one exception," I admitted as Tifa wandered through the bridge a bit absently, as though she were looking for something or someone.

"So, are we going straight away to pick up Cloud and Zack?" Red suddenly asked.

Tifa and Barret had to have given themselves whiplash with how quickly they snapped their heads in his direction.

"What?" they both demanded simultaneously, disbelief and hope in both of their features.

"Did they call?" Tifa asked excitedly.

"Not exactly," Aeris said, taking a step forward. "During the week we had before rescuing you, Rachas and I used the powers from the planet to find them."

"But he's alive, right? Cloud is alive?" Tifa looked ready to cry from relief and Barret was shaking also.

"Yes, but you're going to need to prepare yourself for when you see him," I interjected.

"But Cloud will be Cloud. He'll stand there in that cocky way he sometimes does and tell us what to do!"

"Tifa! When'd you become such a wimp?" Barret demanded.

"I'm sorry Barret," she murmured but you could tell at the moment she had no fire which just wasn't right. "I was so depressed and just to hear he's alive…"

"He's badly poisoned by mako," I finally stated as I approached the other woman. "He's not responding to anyone last I checked and is defenseless for now."

"You'll need to shape up." Vincent stepped in now. "Step in and protect him since he can't do it."

"Both of us will have to do so," Aeris said as she stepped up also and took Tifa's hand.

"So… which of our boys we gonna visit first?" Cid asked with a grin as he headed to the helm.

Tifa gave Aeris a pleading look and Aeris nodded slightly.

"Cloud!" Tifa called out.

"Right and where was he again?"

"Mideel," I called out.

"Right, Mideel! We should be there in five hours."

Most of us groaned at the realization that it would be just before midnight so the likelihood of finding Cloud would mostly be remote until the morning.

"Can't be helped!" Cid growled at us. "The cruise speed of the Highwind is 173 knots; we can't go much faster for long without running the risk of overheating the engines."

"Just 173 knots? Geez, we should have grabbed an airplane."

Cid glared at me. "An airplane is just meant for little girls to have fun. They don't have the same level of comfort!"

"An airplane is faster, a good one can easily go over 300 knots without risk of overheating the engines!"

"Those're giant cylinders!" Cid insisted. "This baby is a work of art with a top speed of 386 knots!"

"This is a grease-monkey's dream with too many wind-milling propellers! Two engines on one of those supposed "cylinders" and you reach over 500 knots! That is aerodynamic art!"

"Ok you two, break it up!" Kunsel ordered as he grabbed my shoulders and shoved me towards the door.

"Do I even want to know how fast "knots" is?" Yuffie asked.

"In miles or kilometers per hour?" I asked as Kunsel pushed me through the door, both Cait/Reeve and Yuffie in tow.

"Humor us with both," Kunsel stated flatly.

Doing some quick mental math I replied, "The Highwind's top speed is close to 440 mph or 700 kph. An airplane would be 575 mph or 925 kph. And I base the airplane on a mean speed of 500 knots; there are plenty of designs that could go much faster!"

"Faster?" Yuffie sounded very sick now.

"Which we have no need for," Kunsel stated as Cait Sith gave a laugh.

"You never know," I countered as Kunsel finally released my shoulder. "You ok Yuffie? I was kind of expecting you to be getting very ill."

"Ship's doctor gave me some pills," Yuffie still sounded very ill though. "Why do you have to talk about airships though?"

"Coping mechanism. I'll start talking about something I'm comfortable with in order to set some sort of parameter of normalcy. Just be glad I'm not attempting to teach you the difference between angle of attack and angle of incidence, I have a feeling you'd be lost before I even hit chord lines." I then looked to Kunsel. "They said you had a run-in with an odd opponent as well. Could you describe them?"

"It was a woman," Kunsel stated. "She wore an odd sort of white suit with blue lines and a head piece. She called herself Argento."

I had no clue who that was at all, was she in Dirge of Cerberus also? The clothes didn't sound right, then again I had only seen Azul, the little girl, and standard troops.

"The one who chased me was called Azul. He was an enormous monster of a man who wore dark clothes with blue lines, had blue lines on his face, and blue hair."

"Did he say anything?"

"Other than death threats, calling me weak, and wanting to save the trouble on dragging me to somewhere called Deepground? Nothing. I only found out his name because of the squawking of the radio he held. Now if you'll excuse me, I really need to lie down." I wobbled towards the stairs then, my adrenaline surge due to running from Azul finally ending.

"You're in the cabin that is third door on the right," Kunsel called. "I'll send the medic down to check on you, just in case."

"I'll escort her," Cait/Reeve said as the mog took my elbow and helped me down the stairs.

I groaned loudly as we descended the stairs, feeling the world starting to spin just a bit. Guess I really overdid it, first maintaining those disinterest nets for hours then the run from Azul. Maybe I should be glad I didn't wipe out mid-run.

"Thanks," I said as the mog opened the door to what was to be my cabin and thankfully removed my pack and one remaining shoe. The room was small, only big enough for the bunk and a small desk that was built into the wall.

"How are you faring?" Reeve's voice came through Cait Sith.

"Really tired. I'll probably feel this tomorrow but it shouldn't be too serious. How are things back in Junon?"

"Rufus has declared a state of emergency and I'm expecting a call any minute telling me that a car is coming to take me to an aircraft for immediate departure. There is plenty of gloating though about how Shinra defeated WEAPON."

"I'll hand that one to them though it seemed like sheer dumb luck to me." I groaned as I sat back then, my back suddenly feeling very sore.

"It was, are you sure you're alright?"

"My back is just bothering me right now, Azul managed to get a grip on me once and slammed me into a wall."

"Be sure to have the medic check that out. My phone just started to ring, so take care. I'll check in again as soon as I can."

"Take care, and thank you Reeve."

_**Shinra**_

Hojo fought the urge to scream. He had two Tsviets come from Deepground, certain that they would capture at least one of his samples but had not gotten any of them! And now, seeing as there was no reason to keep them here, he had already had the team head back for Midgar empty-handed.

"That behemoth ignored my orders!" Scarlet exclaimed shrilly. "He had every intent to kill that Ancient when he knew he was just supposed to capture it!"

"Gya-ha-ha, it's what he's meant to do, kill his opponents!"

"He's meant to follow orders!" Scarlet insisted with a sneer sent to Heidegger. "I don't want that beast out except on a proper leash ever again."

Hojo groaned and rolled his eyes. Scarlet was the one who had selected the participants for this particular mission. He would have preferred choosing slightly different Tsviets but his chose's in specimens were dismissed by the two before him who favored the raw strength promised by Azul, and if they had brought any of the other Tsviets then he would have hunted them down.

Really though, it was too bad that it had been the Ancient at that particular location and not the SOLDIER. He felt that if their opponents had been swapped then he would have the two samples in custody already. It would be difficult to organize another trap like this, but he'd find a way! Those samples would be so useful in upcoming experiments!

Still though, he was a genius and he would prove it! He'd have his samples and then use them to create beings unlike any ever seen on this planet! Even the WEAPONs would pale in comparison!

_**Normal**_

The medic that checked my back advised me to stay off of it as much as I could for a few days. The injury wasn't something a simple Cure spell could help with and in my exhausted state would actually cause more harm than good. I will admit that it didn't make much sense to me, but then again the medicine I knew didn't involve magic.

"So, either sleep on your side or stomach for tonight. I'll bring some ibuprofen to help with the pain you'll be experiencing for the next several days."

"Thanks," I said as the medic departed, my back already flaring with some pretty bad pain.

Cait Sith had departed as soon as the medic came, Reeve having disconnected a few minutes before that, so I had no one to talk to. It gave me time to think of what was to come. We needed a plan for the Huge materia hunt. The train in Corel I didn't think I'd be much use for but Barret would need to be there as would Cid. Fort Condor would be next and we should have more than enough to hire the troops if we couldn't just fight ourselves. The reactor under Junon… I'm sorry, but after today I don't think I will ever set foot in that city again! The Nibelheim reactor got destroyed by Zack and Barret, not much I can do if they had destroyed the Huge materia along with it.

Zack and Cloud… I don't know what I can do there. Would Aeris or I be able to help them? Heal them? I hadn't taught Aeris any healing techniques yet, heck I hadn't even practiced something as simple as a healing trance yet!

Wait, I currently had the perfect opportunity to practice that skill! Digging a little bit for the information as I turned onto my side on the bunk, I focused on a meditation that brought the healing abilities forward.

Time held no value in that state and pain was none existent. The trance I held myself in was restful and I could feel myself healing fast. Someone came in at some point but I was only barely aware of them and they didn't try to rouse me.

A knock on the door the next day helped to wake me from the trance at last and though I was still sore, the pain was nowhere near the level that I felt it should have been.

Aeris peeped in then, a curious look in her eye. "I checked on you last night but you were… I could tell it was important so I didn't bother you."

"It was a healing trance," I explained as I sat up. "Are we in Mideel?"

"Yes, Tifa already has run out to the village and Cloud…"

"Extreme mako poisoning, right?"

"Tifa is intent to stay here until he's better."

"Let's go, I need some new shoes anyway."

The Highwind was parked just on the outskirts of Mideel, at the little grass strip airport I had used previously. The place was pretty much the same, palm trees, sulfur smell of hot springs, even the tiny shops.

It didn't take much convincing to get Aeris to allow me to stop for a new set of shoes. It was a quick five minute side trip then we were back to heading towards the clinic.

Everyone was already gathered in front of the clinic when we got there, Tifa already back inside. Kunsel did a double-take at the sight of me.

"What are you doing up?" He demanded immediately. "The medic said you needed to stay off your back for several days!"

"The doctor can give me a check-up," I told him as I stepped up to the door. "I just need to see how Cloud is doing."

Almost everyone shrugged or exchanged looks as I grabbed the door and pushed it open.

Everything about the clinic was pretty much the same as the first time I had been there. The doctor was in the front room/lobby along with the nurse, I think her name was Misha. They were currently cleaning a wound on the leg of an elderly man.

"In here," Aeris said as she stepped through the door as well then headed down a short hall and entered the first door.

Cloud and Tifa were both inside and I was almost sorry I had come. This was far worse than when Cloud had been under Zack's care and he was simply unresponsive, now he was sitting in a wheelchair, head lolling back and forth, drooling slightly. He looked brain dead.

"I'm not leaving," Tifa announced and I noticed her for the first time, standing near the wheelchair.

"Not going to try to force you to. Cloud's going to need someone to defend him until he's better." Leaning slightly closer, I attempted to look in his eyes to see if there was even a spark of recognition but nothing appeared. Reaching out through the power, I felt at his mind and was pleased to see that Jenova was now blocked, but he had suffered so badly in the Lifestream and from Hojo's experiments that his mind and memories were completely scattered. The memories Tifa could help with, but his mind was going to need time to reawaken and pull itself into some semblance of being. There was nothing I could do.

Glancing over at Aeris, I gently shook my head, answering her unasked question. She nodded slightly before turning to leave.

Tifa stared at Cloud as I had felt around in his head and had noticed when I gave Aeris a negative.

"Was he this bad… before…"

"No, but he should recover," I reassured as well as I could. "He'll need time and your help."

Tifa nodded then we both turned to the door when the doctor came bustling in. He glanced at Tifa then me and recognized me after a moment.

"So, you've come back and in such a nice airship!" he said with a smile. "Your friend mentioned that you have a back injury that needs to be checked on."

"Yeah," I nodded even as my level of discomfort rose. "I got slammed into a wall recently."

"Let's see then, lie down on the bed if you would."

I lay face down on the bed as the doctor checked my back, pressing on certain points to check for cracks or breaks. It wasn't a comfortable experience.

After a moment the doctor stood up and shook his head slightly. "The damage isn't bad, hardly more than a light impact really. You should be fine in a couple days though I do suggest that you stay off your feet for today."

I nodded as I rose from the bed then turned and met his smiling face.

"So, now that you're here, I can do a follow-up on those malaria shots I gave you two months ago."

"Malaria?" Tifa looked shocked at the news and I couldn't help but laugh.

"We had a small outbreak and some executives at Shinra were going to be making a trip here," the doc explained. "Your friend here flew in the serum shots and because she was here, I gave her one just for preventative measures."

I pulled up the sleeve on my shirt where I had received the shot, gave him the rundown of how I had felt for the days following, and was released on good health.

As I was walking back to the front of the clinic several minutes later after wishing Tifa good luck, I was met by Kunsel and Cait Sith, the robotic mog sporting a wheelchair.

"Cloud's not coming with us, there is no reason for that," I explained.

Kunsel shook his head and shoved me into the chair. "This is for you. Doctor said we could borrow one to get you back to the ship where we have one in the infirmary."

"His orders are for you to stay off your feet today and you're going to do it," Reeve's voice surprised me slightly as the mog pushed the chair out the door, the nurse calling out her farewells behind us.

"So everyone is already back at the ship?"

"Yes and we're going to have to have a meeting soon. For right now we need to choose a new leader and try to figure out what we can do."

Cait/Reeve nodded as we exited the village and the ship came into view. "I'll have to log off soon though, a meeting was just called. I believe they finally have a plan for what to do about Meteor."

"I hope it's a good one," Kunsel said as the ship's medic approached us with a wheelchair. "Be sure to let us in on it."

"I'll be doing better than that; I'll have a wire equipped so that all of you may hear what's going on."

"Sneaky," I teased with a smile before standing and switching to the medic's chair. "Be careful though, those guys are power hungry and don't always realize that raw force isn't the best path."

"I'm well aware." I could almost hear Reeve's smile then he was gone and it was Cait Sith in control.

"I'll get this back to the clinic, don't take off without me!" Kunsel stated as the medic began to push me into the ship.

"So, what're we going to do about Zack?" Cait asked as a crewmember assisted the medic in getting me down the stairs to the command deck.

"Hopefully we'll have a day to get to and check in on him before we'll need to move," I replied then spotted Red heading towards the cockpit. "Hey Red, tell Cid not to take-off yet, Kunsel is still out!"

"Alright, will you be joining us in the bridge?"

"Doctor just said to stay off my feet, not to isolate me in a padded room."

Red offered his version of a laugh as he crossed the gangway to the cockpit.

It took a bit of arguing with the medic but he eventually allowed me to head that way myself instead of to the infirmary. Cait Sith stayed with me the entire time and then his mog helped to push my chair into the area.

Everyone else had already gathered in the cockpit and Cid was readying the crew for take-off as soon as Kunsel reported back onboard.

"So, we're headed for Gongaga next, right?" one of the crew asked Aeris who nodded in the affirmative. "Right, we'll start planning the course."

Vincent and Red were on the far side of the deck while Barret was at the forward most section near the bay windows. Yuffie was nowhere in sight.

"Shit, who the hell taught you those flows? Sure wasn't me, jackass should be shot!" Cid yelled from near the helmsman and I had to shake my head.

Cait had the mog wheel me over next to Aeris then shyly crawled up and sat in my lap.

"Are you doing okay?" I asked Aeris as she turned away from the crew who were planning the flight.

"I'll be fine, I'm just concerned for Zack," she replied before glancing at me in the wheelchair. "Are you that badly hurt?"

"Doctor just wants me off of my feet for today; he said it was nothing serious."

A buzzing noise filled the air and Cid grabbed a receiver from the wall near the pilot and after a second gave a hoot.

"Alright numbskulls, the last man is onboard so let's roll!"

"Y-y-yes sir!" the pilot responded before jerkily sending his hands over the controls.

The ship lurched spectacularly then, jumping up at least a few hundred feet on its side and anyone or thing not holding on or nailed down got fairly jostled. Aeris grabbed onto the crew station behind her for balance while I got lucky in that Cait's mog was still holding on to my wheelchair. Red skittered on the floor a bit, Barret fell against one of the window supports, Cid was cursing a blue streak, and Vincent didn't look at all affected.

"That was entertaining," I commented as the pilot hurriedly corrected his bank and righted the ship.

"Don't ever do that again!" Barret yelled from where he was trying to right himself.

Cid jumped to his feet also and turned his attention to the poor hapless pilot. "You fuckin' shithead! What did I tell ya 'bout your flows? Asses who teach ya like this oughta be shot-"

I grabbed Cait's megaphone then and silenced Cid by hurling it at his head with a Jedi style push. "Yelling isn't going to help; you're just going to make him more nervous!"

"Don't you frickin tell me what to do!" Cid yelled in my direction. "He wants to fly, I'm teachin him the way I know how."

Kunsel finally stumbled through the door then and he looked slightly green. "What happened?"

"This louse jumped the gun and screwed up take-off," Cid replied. "Course is set for Gongaga, so do as the navigator tells ya," he instructed the pilot.

Aeris glanced around the cockpit then before finally speaking again. "If Zack is in the same condition, I might stay with him as well."

"Understandable," Kunsel reassured her while Barret nodded.

"I also have something to say." Cait sat up in my lap now.

"What? That you're a spy?" Barret demanded.

"Yeah… I've already told you I was." Cait looked a bit downtrodden at his own admission before continuing. "Both Gya-ha-ha and Kya-ha-ha are up to something. Wanna eavesdrop?"

He needed no vocal answers, everyone present instantly clamored towards him, even Vincent left his corner to get to a better angle to listen.

_**Shinra**_

Rufus stared at his mostly empty boardroom and fought a sneer. So many of his executives were not present because of what had happened in Junon. Only Reeve, Palmer, Scarlet, and Heidegger were present in fact.

"Now then…" he began. "We're faced with two issues. 1- Destroy Meteor. 2- Remove the barrier around North Cave and defeat Sephiroth. Any ideas?"

Heidegger responded first. "Gya-haah-hah-hah! We already solved the first problem! Meteor will soon be smashed to bits!" The bearded man wore a large grin now. "The plan has already been put in motion. Namely, to collect Huge Materia from each region."

Rufus didn't know what this plan consisted of but he already didn't care too much for it. Especially the part where it had already been put in motion without waiting for his approval. "Well…"

"Huge Materia is a high density special type of materia made through a special compression process in Mako reactors. The energy extracted from it is 330 times the strength of normal materia," Scarlet explained. "Ha-ha-ha! How about that?" She turned then and spread her arms in a grandiose display. "We will gather all the Huge Materia together and ram it into Meteor. That will cause a huge explosion! Reducing Meteor literally to bits."

"You're going to ram Meteor?" Rufus wasn't sure what he thought of the idea but if that was what they had… "Do you think we have the technology to do it?"

"Don't worry about that. More importantly, we've got to collect Huge Materia from each area."

"We were lucky to have collected from Nibelheim before AVALANCHE blew up the reactor," Heidegger stated. "All that's left is "Corel" and "Fort Condor". I've already dispatched troops to Corel. Gya-haah-hah-hah."

Once again Rufus was displeased by his executives going behind his back. Telling him not to worry and dispatching troops without his knowledge. He did notice though that through the entire proceeding, both Reeve and Palmer were oddly quiet. Palmer had an almost contented look though so he had to assume he was in on the plan at least partially. Reeve on the other hand looked thoughtful but incredibly doubtful.

"How certain are you that this will work?" Reeve's question was well deserved but only drew a snort from Scarlet.

"These matters shouldn't concern Urban Development, though if you'd like to be… educated, I'm sure I could find some time." Her tone was a bit flirtatious and Reeve looked uncomfortable and slightly disgusted.

_**Normal**_

Barret was going crazy. He had started to go mad the moment that Heidegger said that he had already deployed troops to Corel.

"Corel! What else can they do to Corel?" he demanded loudly.

Red shook his own head a bit. "And the Huge Materia… You mean the Huge Materia, don't you? I've heard about it. When our small materia nears the larger one, something should happen. I'm certain of it. That's why we're using the power of materia in our fight."

"Can't let Shinra get a hold of the Huge Materia," Barret announced, drawing nods from everyone present. "Can't let Yuffie either for that matter. And when Cloud gets back on his feet, I wanna show him and Zack this Huge Materia. They're gonna be shocked."

"So, what're you saying, Barret?" Cait asked as he hopped off of my lap and meandered over to the large man.

"Every group's gotta have a leader," Barret replied quietly then drew a large breath. "An that's me! Or at least I wanna be… But I ain't cut out to be no leader. I never knew that till lately." It must have taken quite a bit of Barret's pride to admit that, but he looked oddly relieved to finally admit it. "An' that's what is…"

Cid was pretending to snore a bit now and seemed honestly surprised when he finally glanced around and found Barret staring at him. "Wha? What's goin on?" he demanded as he promptly seemed to awaken.

"You been chosen to be the new leader," Barret flatly stated.

"Pain in the ass, forget it!"

"We need you to do it. For us to fight, we need the Highwind and you runnin' it. We need to save the Planet, and Rachas is injured right now. Ain't no other choice."

Cid looked thoughtful. "Hm… this ship's gonna save the Planet, huh? Ain't that gonna be just a little tough? Oh man, that went straight to my heart!" He looked very pleased at the thought of leading his ship into a battle for the Planet. "I'm a man too! Okay, I'll do it! Everyone, follow me!"

Barret nodded. "Awright, now here's the first job. We need a party to go to Corel to stop Shinra from getting the Huge Materia. And I'm gonna be there!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I asked then glanced at Aeris.

Barret followed my eyes then his own widened a bit. "Aeris, I'm sorry but… we really hav' ta go. I promise we'll get to Gongaga immediately after."

"I understand," Aeris replied though you could tell she hurt a bit at having to put off checking in on Zack.

"So, any idea how they're gonna move this Huge materia?" Cid asked as he nodded to the navigator who promptly started to revise the flight plan to take us to Corel instead.

"There were train tracks coming out of the reactor," I pointed out and got nods from most of the group that had been present at the time.

"Yeah, we followed them all the way to…"

"Corel!" Barret suddenly jumped. "If they use a train, they'll barrel straight through Corel!"

Urgency seemed to pick up then as Cid glanced around our group. "So, we need someone who knows the area and form a team that can attack even on a train… Barret is definitely coming. We'll also take Kunsel and Vincent for muscle."

"When will we get to Corel?" Barret demanded as the navigator gave the pilot a new course heading.

"About twelve hours sir!" the navigator responded, his lips also tight, his urgency seemed to be in wishing we could get there sooner.

"Five in the fuckin' mornin'? Cid demanded then sighed loudly. "We're going to be wiped out by the time we get there."

"Not if we go skeleton crew and work shifts," I pointed out, drawing a glance from Cid. "We're going to need everyone who can help to do so, especially for evacuating the civilians in case you don't stop the train in time."

"Ain't no Captain on the Highwind except me, ain't letting an amateur fly my bird without a pro watchin!"

"It's not like he'll be landing or doing Dutch rolls! Just simple dead-reckoning. The navigator should be more than enough to watch him for several hours until the next crew starts and you can land her in the morning."

"Dead-reckoning?" Red asked.

"Flyin' a headin'" Cid answered for me. "And the navigator ain't no pilot!"

"Rachas is," Vincent stated as he stepped forward. "She could observe the trainee while you sleep."

"That's right," Red stepped up now. "She can't do much at the moment and even tomorrow will probably be slow moving."

Cid stared at both then roved his eyes over the group, even glancing at the still quaking trainee. "Fine, she can watch him during my down time. But if anything happens…"

"You wouldn't hit someone in a wheelchair, would you?" I asked in a sweet tone.

Cid glared at me but shook his head. "You won't be in that fuckin' thing forever though." Sighing, he turned back to the main window and seemed to think for a few minutes. "You were out for most of the day, so report back here in two hours to take over command. Do an eight hour shift then wake me up."

"Understood," I responded with a salute.

My stomach growled then as the meeting broke off. Seeing nothing else to do, I glanced at Cait who was still comfortably sitting in my lap. "Do you know where the galley is by any chance?"

"I'm a robot, no need for those sorts of things," Cait replied cheerfully.

"I'll show you then," Aeris said as she stood next to my chair.

I smiled at her as we began our trek to the galley.

"That healing trance you were in earlier, you can't just use it can you?" she asked after a moment.

"No, healing is intensive and requires a fair amount of focus and attention. The trance increases your body's ability to heal itself, accelerating the process exponentially. Healing another is a bit different with you having to focus on mainly on the injury or whatever makes them sick."

"So you usually have to be still while healing yourself or others?"

"You need so much focus that moving as you heal can be very difficult," I answered as we passed through a door into a fair sized room with a number of tables spread throughout it. There was a serving area at one end of the room as well as the intake for used dishes and trays.

The mog wheeled me to the serving area and we joined the short queue to receive food. The food that was served wasn't anything spectacular but definitely better than anything I had ever received while in school and arguably better than some of the boxed lunches that I was handed at various outstations while flying on Earth.

"Will we be able to heal Zack and Cloud?" Aeris finally asked as we settled at a table, Cait Sith still curled into my lap.

I shrugged. There was really no way to tell with Zack, he had pulled through once he should be able to do it again. "Cloud needs time to regroup his mind somewhat and then we can do something. If Zack is in the same condition then he'll need similar treatment."

"And if he's not?" Aeris stared at the table as she asked this.

"Then we'll do everything we can, you know that."

Aeris didn't eat much during that meal and to be honest I didn't either. I was worried for Zack, Cloud, Corel, Barret, and the Planet in general… Why was it so easy to find myself completely drawn into this world?

Barret wandered in right as Aeris took both of our trays to the receiver. He had several photos in hand and wore a smile as he stared at them.

"What have you there?" Cait asked as he bounced onto the table.

Barret glanced up at Cait then spread the pictures he had been holding on the table in front of him. "The pics yur creator sent."

Glancing over, I saw the main focus of these pictures were of course Marlene with odd snippets of Jessie, Wedge, and Mrs. Gainsborough. Of course Barret was studying these intently, apparently trying to memorize every detail.

"She don't remember Corel, but I wanna show her one day," Barret suddenly said right as Aeris rejoined us. "Can't do that if we lose tomorrow."

"Get some sleep, you'll operate better with that under your belt tomorrow," Aeris said gently even as she stared at the pictures herself.

Barret nodded slightly then turned to Aeris once more. "If something happens to me… I- I know I can trust Tifa… but that might not be enough for her and…"

"Don't think like that." The order came from behind Barret where Kunsel and Yuffie now stood.

Barret gazed at everyone then finally nodded, understanding what was being said. "Just wanna be sure," he murmured and received a pat on the arm from Aeris.

"We know," she said. "And if anything ever does happen, she'll be taken care of."

I said nothing throughout the exchange though I did smile upon seeing everyone else promise that Marlene would be taken care of. Touching Reeve's handkerchief, I sighed internally. My one regret that I had mentioned to Tifa was that I couldn't stay once this was all over. Not with them, not with Reeve.

A little over an hour later I was wheeled back to the bridge where I relieved Cid as the pilot supervising. The pilot-in-training seemed both relieved and terrified to see him go.

The first thing I did was insure that every portion of the ship was on skeleton crew and that all unoccupied personnel were on rest in anticipation of arrival in Corel.

The next few hours were just as boring as I thought they would be, the trainee had absolutely no problems with holding a heading. For most of the night it was just him, me, the navigator, and a flight engineer.

Cait Sith and his mog powered down around midnight which left me with three extra hours where I talked with the other members of the crew. Apparently the entire crew had wanted to follow Cid out of Shinra after the Highwind had been taken from him but couldn't for one reason or another. With the appearance of Meteor, all of them had agreed that it was pointless to stay and subsequently jumped ship just for him. They didn't necessarily believe in what we were doing, but hearing our plans and intentions, most of them were being drawn in little by little.

I laughed when I envisioned what this could mean for the future. It was hard not to grin at the thought of over twenty people promptly joining AVALANCHE, it definitely would have made an interesting final scene to have over thirty people facing Sephiroth/Jenova.

At 3am, just as he asked, I had Cid roused then went to take a brief nap for the two hours we had before reaching Corel.


	40. Chapter 40

Saria: Another day, another chapter!

SA: Another design that you made for a glider that you one day want to build.

Saria: Hey, parts are expensive, especially in today's economy!

Zas: You know, we do technically live next to a scrap yard.

Tori: Which in turn houses a large dog.

SA: Don't remind me…

Saria: Hey, normally I love dogs but that one is MEAN!

zzzzzzzzzz

_**Cid's Team**_

Cid groaned as they finally set down the airship. Almost ten minutes ago he had sent out a page to awaken all people aboard the ship and now got to enjoy the fucking good moods of those shitty "morning people", something that apparently Aeris and Cait Sith were. Vincent, Barret, and Kunsel were all awake as well, too awake in his opinion. It was truly disgusting.

Rachas had gathered those not going to the reactor and was briefing them on what they were going to do, namely in that they were just going to do their best to clear civilians from the tracks and build a barricade to try to stop the train if they should fail. The remaining members of AVALANCHE and the crew were nodding at the plan. Even she looked oddly awake and that was truly what made things really miserable right now.

Disembarking was a chaotic affair as all hands ran for the exits. It took a bit of maneuvering but he was able to keep his own team together as they pushed through Corel. Barret actually looked more anxious than anyone else did.

This being the second time Cid had ever seen Corel but the first time he had gotten a real look at the village and he found himself heaving a sigh through his cigarette. "What a shithole."

"Insults later," Barret yelled as he charged past the tents to where the tracks lay bare.

Cid allowed Barret to lead the way to the site of the reactor without fuss, Vincent and Kunsel covering their tails with bullets and spells. The first hour was alright, but as they ran over a series of hills during the second hour of running, Cid had to admit he was getting tired.

"Hey… how much… farther is this… place?" he gasped up to Barret as they mounted another rise in the tracks.

"Just up ahead!" Barret yelled back, his voice tight.

_**Normal**_

Corel was in an uproar as AVALANCHE and the crew of the Highwind ran through the town of tents. Most of the residents were still asleep at five in the morning and were not thrilled at being roused from their sleep. Thankfully though, most of the residents also didn't doubt our story that Shinra was trying to drive a train through the remainders of their village. Apparently since they had already had their town pretty much destroyed by Shinra once, it didn't seem that farfetched.

Getting them to move from the tracks was a different problem altogether.

Most of the residents viewed the tents as their home and didn't want to move, even temporarily. They insisted that we help them remove some valuables and their elderly but the tents themselves stayed.

Now, almost two hours after beginning our evacuation of the village, we began to build the barricades.

Aeris and I didn't even attempt to hide our skills now as we brought down boulders from high ledges to block the tracks. The crew and various villagers then dragged them into a form of barricade while still other villagers pulled out old machines to block the tracks. Never before had I missed the presence of Zack, Cloud, or Kunsel. They could have easily lifted and moved the boulders.

If I remembered this right then it would be ten minutes after the train left the reactor before it would reach Corel. We had already lost two hours but everyone also knew that if they heard a train that they were to clear the tracks and there was no one in the tents on the tracks that went through Corel.

We might cut it close, but I was pretty certain that we wouldn't lose anyone today.

_**Cid's Team**_

"There are guards up ahead," Vincent spoke for the first time as they mounted a hill and the reactor finally came into view.

"How many?" Barret demanded.

"Two."

"Easily taken!" Barret yelled and somehow ran faster than ever.

"He doesn't understand subtle at all, does he?" Kunsel's question was rhetorical.

Cid could only nod while Vincent raised his gun, aiming at one of the guards. A single shot rang out and one guard was down then Barret was on the other, his gun arm being used to bludgeon the man hard over the head.

"That's one way to deal with the fuckers," Cid stated as he finally caught up to Barret. Glancing around, he didn't see any more guards. "Guess we're safe for now."

A whistling caught all of their attention then and all heads turned to stare at the entrance of the reactor.

"They couldn't possibly…" Barret began but a loud rumbling caused them all to jump back right as a short train cleared the entrance of the reactor.

"They're takin' off with the Huge materia!" Cid yelled.

Barret jumped onto the tracks then and seemed to attempt to give chase for a few paces. "NO! You damn boneheads!"

"We've got to do something!" Kunsel glanced around, trying to get an idea.

"Hey, you know who I am?" Cid demanded, his boisterous attitude back full force even as his own head whizzed through the possibilities. "I'm Cid- that's who the hell I am! Now let me handle it!"

Kunsel's eyes caught onto something then that they could use and he nodded at it.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Cid yelled as they all jumped onto the smaller engine. It took a moment for Cid to figure out the controls but when he did, he grinned victoriously. "I should get this tub to move faster by alternatin' the control levers."

"Well hurry up!" Kunsel yelled at him as he glanced at the train they were chasing.

"Calm down, took us hours to get this far!" Cid replied even as he worked the controls as quickly as he could.

"That train will reach Corel in ten minutes at the speed its achieving!" Kunsel responded.

A screeching on the tracks ahead of them sounded and then their engine was no longer on the same tracks as the first engine.

"What happened?" Barret yelled as he stared at the other train.

"Some asshole is trying to keep us away!" Cid angrily shouted.

"We'll have to jump." Vincent's voice was just as calm as ever and drew the attention of both Barret and Cid.

"THE HELL?" Cid yelled while Barret glanced at the distance.

"Gotta stop that thing!" Barret yelled then jumped, Kunsel right behind him.

"You'll want to jump also," Vincent stated blandly as he turned towards the other train. "The track ends soon."

"COME AGAIN?" Glancing ahead of the train, to Cid's dismay Vincent was correct. "I'm getting too old for this!" he yelled as he shouldered his spear and followed the dark man to the other train.

Barret and Kunsel had just dealt with the robot on the first car when he had landed so there was no reason to dawdle on the last car. Jumping to the next car, the four of them came face to face with a pair of robots.

"Pair up! We need to finish fast!" Cid shouted charged forward with Kunsel, the two of them quickly smashing their robot while Vincent and Barret fired a haze of bullets at the second one.

The first robot didn't last long with both men hammering on it, nor did the second one with Vincent's sharp shooting skills and Barret's general hailing of bullets.

The next car was guarded by a large machine carrying a humungous sword. It slashed at their group the moment they landed on the cart. Barret, Vincent, and he all fell back enough to avoid the swing while Kunsel leaped high, dodging the blow while bringing his sword down hard on the tough metal of the machine's arm.

The screech of metal on metal was loud but a large gouge was opened in the machine's arm. Racing forward, Cid slammed his spear into the side of the robot, hoping to slice into its core. The robot didn't die though, only swiping at him with its second arm.

"I need back-up here!" he shouted to his comrades.

Vincent fluidly jumped into the fray, his clawed arm slashing down on the arm. With a loud metallic rip the arm was slashed almost completely off. Barret officially finished the machine with a storm of bullets aimed at the head.

Jumping to the next car as the now dead robot rolled off the side of the train, Cid found himself suddenly stopped by Kunsel's hand.

"What're you doing? Controls are right there!" Cid yelled at the man then turned his attention in the direction that the former SOLDIER was pointing. Hovering just several feet above them was a large metallic bird.

"Fucker!" Barret yelled as he raised his gun arm and unleashed a storm of bullets at the machine while Kunsel cast a strong lightning spell.

"Shit!" Cid yelped as the bird retaliated by lowering one of its wings and firing a round of bullets at them. Reaching into his pack, he found a stick of dynamite that he lit with his still burning cigarette and hurled it at the beastly creation.

The dynamite caused a large dent in the armor of the machine and Kunsel's lightning spell seemed to fry its circuits just enough that it needed a moment to reboot. During that time Vincent took aim and shot at one of the aiming cameras loaded on the bird machine.

The machine finally seemed to regain enough of its movement control then to lower its wings again for another attack. This time though, it aimed a bit lower and Cid felt a bullet graze his arm as he ducked while a yelp of pain from next to him announced that Kunsel had been hit.

"Damn it!" Kunsel muttered through grit teeth as he charged up another lightning spell.

"Shitty machine tore my favorite jacket!" Cid yelled as he hefted his spear only to be pushed aside by an angry looking Barret.

"Goin' down bird!" the dark skinned man roared as his gun arm unleashed a powerful laser attack that seemed to bake the ground under the machine almost as much as it cooked the machine. The robotic bird's shell hit the top of the train hard and twitched a bit as they all climbed over it to the front of the train.

There was one Shinra MP at the controls of the train and he was no problem whatsoever to deal with, Cid simply smacked him across the head with his spear without the guy ever turning around.

"Get this thing stopped before we crash into Corel!" Barret yelled even as Cid jumped over the body to the controls.

"I know!" Cid fired back as he grabbed the levers. "Alternating caused us to speed up, together should brake!" He tried what he had just mentioned and for a long couple of seconds nothing happened.

"It's not working!" Barret yelled then glanced in front of them where the bridge was just starting to come into sight.

"It feels like we're accelerating!" Kunsel agreed.

"Shut your asses and let me concentrate!" Pulling and pushing the levers again, Cid growled loudly as he nothing still seemed to happen. "SHIT! Is it the other way? I'll get this…"

The train seemed to be going faster than ever right then and the bridge was almost upon them.

"SHIT!" Cid screamed as he tried once again and finally heard the brakes engage, screeching hard on the wheels of the train, slowing them down but not too quickly. They were still going too fast as they crossed the bridge and the town quickly came into sight. That was when they hit the first of the barricades.

The first level of barricade was a light construction of mostly wood and a few thin scraps of metal and the train tore through it like it were tissue paper. The second one was much the same except that they could feel an honest difference in the speed of the train. The third barrier was a few small rock and some thicker metal and the train slowed down spectacularly. The final barrier though was of rocks and was thick with steel and old equipment. The nose of the train bit into the beginning of the construct but no longer had the momentum to continue forward and came to a grinding halt, throwing all of the to the floor of the train.

As the four men rose to their feet, a number of cheers could be heard outside of the coach they were in and as they glanced out they saw the cliffs on either side of the tracks were lined with people who jumped and cheered happily. Around them on the ground were the various other members of AVALANCHE, the crew of the Highwind, and most of the men and stronger women of Corel.

One of the men of Corel actually rushed over as they climbed from the train.

"You guys are really something!" he shouted jovially then saw Barret also emerging from the cab and looked a bit embarrassed.

Yet another of the men walked over then. "You're the guys that stopped the Shinra train? The Shinra were about to destroy our lives again…"

"It may be full of junk, but this is the only home we got, Barret." Yet another man had joined the other two and like them he seemed embarrassed about looking Barret in the eye.

"Of… of course!" Barret responded. "We're all born and raised in the coal mines! No matter how tough it gets, our hearts burn bright red like coal!"

The second man finally looked at Barret then and nodded. "To hell with Meteor!" he announced. "We're Coal Miners, ain't we? We'll dig a deep tunnel and hide from Meteor!"

"That's it!" the third seemed to agree as a young boy approached Barret then, something in hand.

"I found this amazing rock in the well!" he said as he handed the rock, that they now saw was actually a materia to Barret with a grin.

_**Normal**_

It had been a close call, that was for sure. The train probably would have stopped before hitting anything in Corel but the hastily constructed barriers made it a not as distressing situation. Rather than literally being right at the edge of the town, the train had been stopped almost thirty feet out.

All around us, the sound of celebration filled the air as miners and their families laughed and hugged one another, they hadn't lost everything to the Shinra once again.

I walked down the length of the train with several of the crewmembers, shoving rocks in between the wheels to insure the train wouldn't slip and possibly roll into the village one day even if the barrier were ever removed. Once that was done, I found myself walking out to the bridge and staring down at the river in the ravine below. It was very swift and powerful looking…

"Something catch your attention?" Glancing over, I wasn't surprised to see Cait Sith had wandered over to stand by me, Reeve in obvious control.

"Just noticing the river, I kind of missed it when we passed through here before."

Cait Sith's head angled to look down at the river also then glanced back at me. "Why is that so interesting?"

"Think about it, once this is all over the Mako reactors need to be shutdown, no two ways about it. And Corel might have the perfect alternative energy source for themselves and surrounding towns right here in the form of hydroelectricity," I explained. "Build a dam here and the natural forces of the water would provide clean, renewable energy. It would solve two problems in that it would produce power and provide a boost to the economy here, give these people a new lease on life."

"True…" Reeve sounded thoughtful even through the robot. "Junon has a river near it as well that might be good for such purposes also."

"It flows from the mountains so it should have a good amount of kinetic energy," I responded with a smile.

"What about Midgar then?"

"Lots of waste lands surrounding the city… Solar panels?"

Our conversation probably would have continued for several minutes longer if one of the village children hadn't run up and grabbed my hand as another scooped up the form of Cait Sith.

The next hour was a hectic affair where everyone in our party, AVALANCHE and Highwind crew alike were jostled by the various residents of Corel and despite it not even being eight in the morning, everywhere you looked there were signs of people partying. Bottles of alcohol appeared, candies and sweets were passed out to the kids. Barret got approached by just about every man and woman in Corel and congratulated and thanked for saving their home.

When we finally were able to extract ourselves from the crowds of Corel and head for the airship it was only about half past eight but it felt much later in the day.

"Where is the next place we must go?" Red asked as soon as we were all onboard.

"The suits said Fort Condor," Barret offered, already looking more than a little wiped out.

Various heads, including some of the crew that had been present during our eavesdropping session nodded. Cait Sith, still being controlled by Reeve, chose then to speak up.

"Unfortunately they have not given any indication of when they intend to mobilize just yet. I'll be hacking their servers in a few minutes to see if I can gather any idea on when they plan to push forward with that plan."

"In the mean time we should head for Fort Condor-" I interrupted Cid with a bump on the head.

"In the mean time, we'll head to Gongaga," I ordered. "They can't head straight to and mobilize on Fort Condor and we owe it to Zack to check in on him."

"Agreed," Red called out.

Kunsel shifted a bit, a torn look on his face before his resolve visibly hardened. "If it were any of us Zack would have come running straight away to make sure we were okay."

"I'm all for it!" Yuffie called out with a slight bounce.

Aeris nodded before giving Cid a slightly pleading look. "Please Cid, it would mean so much."

Cid shuffled for a moment then rubbed the back of his head. "Shit… Can't make a lady cry. Alright then, Gongaga."

"Yes sir!" the various members of the crew agreed from their stations. Cid took the helm himself and initiated the takeoff while the navigator started to get a rough idea for which direction to go and gave Cid the initial heading.

"Estimated time enroute will be four hours!" the navigator called as I turned and left the bridge after Aeris. I followed her straight up to the deck at the top of the carriage.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked as she leaned heavily onto the railing behind her.

"Yes. Just a little tired and worried."

"Zack?"

She nodded before casting her eyes back over the side of the railing where we could see the low mountain range surrounding Corel moving past us. "I keep thinking of him and seeing Cloud just made it worse."

I hugged her slightly then, offering what comfort I could. "They'll be just fine, Cloud just needs some time and probably Zack will as well."

Aeris nodded slightly though her eyes still looked so sad. "If he needs time, I'll be there to help him through it," she promised.

_**Reeve**_

He had disconnected from Cait Sith after promising to check on when Heidegger and Scarlet were planning to march on Fort Condor and was pleased to see that Rachas's prediction was right; the troops were gathering at a point about 10 miles away but there was no plan to mobilize for another two days. They had plenty of time to check on Zack before heading to the fort.

Meteor surprisingly enough wasn't approaching as quickly as one would have thought. The Planet's rotation around the sun was slowing the progress of the summoned rock significantly. Unfortunately it also meant that most people were watching the sky and agonizing for days or weeks before a resolution could be found.

Now that that was taken care of though, he was going to be covering AVALANCHE's tracks a little. Pulling up a new application, he began to design a report from the commanding officer on the train, declaring the shape of the tracks was making progress exceedingly slow and that rocks were too numerous for the train to gain any speed and monsters were numerous. With any luck it would slow down those two idiots for a while, possibly long enough for everyone to get to Fort Condor without the extremely heavy guns being pulled out.

Right as he finished the report and submitted it through the officer's mailbox a knock sounded from his door. He'd been expecting a report soon from the section of his department that was in charge of providing aid to the civilians caught in the attacks of WEAPON so he called "Enter" without much thought.

The sight of Tseng pushing his way through the door, still leaning a bit on a medical cane, wasn't something that Reeve had expected.

"Tseng, to what do I owe this visit?"

Tseng looked at him solidly for a moment before seating himself in one of the open chairs in front of Reeve's desk.

"Scarlet complained about you turning down her invitations," Tseng began, a flash of pity crossing his face. "Better be careful, that… woman is vicious." Reeve noticed the Wutaian man seemed almost reluctant to call the harlot a woman.

"Has she ordered something?" he asked directly.

Tseng narrowed his eyes slightly but nodded. "As of now, your privileges involving the company phone have been revoked and the Cait Sith unit in Junon has been seized. She also is vying for the President to cut funds to your department in light of our current situation."

"I see," Reeve responded with a frown though he probably should have expected this. "Am I to hand over my company PHS then?"

"And your personal one."

That comment gave caused Reeve to pause for a moment before he pulled out his purchased PHS and handed that to Tseng as well as the company PHS. The office phone remained but he had no illusions that there was a Turk form of bug on it to listen to his conversations. The other Turks were probably bugging his house even as they spoke.

Luckily he had a home built PHS and computer that never left his presence and could be used to access Cait Sith.

Tseng sighed as he took the phones then actually looked Reeve in the eye. "Scarlet doesn't take rejection well, we can both attest to that."

"Has she attempted to have the Department of Administrative Research dissolved again?"

"No but I'm glad you see my point. Enough rejection and she can become a very real pain." Tseng shifted slightly then, his eyes lighting on Reeve's breast pocket. "Perhaps you have more reason behind your rejection than simply not liking her."

Reeve found himself suddenly very aware of his empty pocket, the pocket he usually kept the handkerchief from his mother in. Leave it to Tseng to notice something that anyone else would have missed. Maybe his mother would have a spare she could lend him for right now.

Maybe it was also time to visit his mother, tell her that he had met someone. He hadn't really taken the time to visit her since the Sector Seven plate had dropped.

Tseng's face remained neutral as he stood and turned towards the door. "I do owe that Ancient something so as long as your interest in her doesn't pose a threat to the President, I won't say anything."

"I've no idea what you're talking about," Reeve replied even as his moments with Rachas from just mere days ago ran through his head.

Tseng gave him a look on his departure, one that indicated he knew exactly what was happening.

_**Normal**_

The wind on the deck of the Highwind was a refreshing experience after being stuck inside vehicles for so long. The passing scenery helped to keep Aeris calm as well and then she started trying to sing "Still Alive", the song I had sung for her during our imprisonment. She actually had a very good voice and remembered most of the words but I did have to teach her some of the lines in the verses again.

We had just gotten through the song one time without mistakes when Vincent appeared on the deck also, the journal I had given him in hand as he stared down at the passing landscape.

Glancing over the side as well, Aeris gave an audible gasp at the sight of the lake we were passing over, the lake at the opening of Lucrecia's Cave I realized.

"See something?" I asked Vincent, hoping he would nod or ask for a quick stop.

Instead Vincent gave a faint shake of his head though his eyes were fixed on the northern shore of the lake, seeking something. He remained in that position until the lake faded from sight behind which was quite a while actually.

"Did either of you sense something around that lake?" Vincent asked once the lake couldn't be discerned anymore.

I glanced at Aeris before giving honest thought to the matter. The voices of the Planet were now such a regular thing in my head anymore that they were now easy to overlook, something I had never quite believed would happen. Now that I did think of it though, there was a strange cry in the area, like a woman crying. A woman crying for her infant son.

"Yeah, I sensed something alright. It was like a woman crying."

Vincent nodded then turned sharply and walked back into the cockpit.

"Rachas," Aeris's voice reached my ears. "Would you mind teaching me some healing techniques?"

"I can explain some theory; there isn't any time for practical right now."

Aeris nodded. "It's better than nothing," she replied.

For the last hour and a half until we reached Gongaga I explained the theories behind healing trances, hibernations, restoring cells in organs to regenerate them to a certain level, and treating infections.

"What about healing a person's mind?" Aeris asked as the airship settled in a field just outside Gongaga.

"That will depend on what is wrong. If it's trauma from an experience then sometimes you can dull the experience. If their psyche has been completely shattered then sometimes you can reform it. Sometimes their spirits are simply asleep and need time to recover. There are too many variables to cover straight away."

"And you don't want me trying something while you're not here."

"No I don't," I replied as we waited for the ladders to be dropped by the crew so we could make the trip into the village. "We'll perform an evaluation when we reach the village and do what we can, but I don't want you trying anything without me here to observe."

Aeris gave me the closest thing to a glare I think she can manage as we descended along with Yuffie, Kunsel, Barret, Cait Sith, and Red. Vincent and Cid opted to stay with the ship for the moment.

"Do you think he'll be better than Cloud?" Yuffie asked as we walked down the path to the remainder of the village.

Barret scowled slightly and cuffed Yuffie. "Course he'll be! He dragged Cloud's ass around before when Cloud was poisoned."

Kunsel nodded, also certain that he would be fine.

I glanced over at Aeris, my own nerves beginning to rise. I hadn't checked on Zack beyond confirming that he was alive, I hadn't wanted to see him in a state like Cloud.

Soon enough we were passing the cemetery and entering the village where Aeris finally broke into a run, heading straight for the house of Locke and Terra. Neither of Zack's parents looked at all surprised when we came barreling through the door.

"He's in his room," Terra called from the kitchen. "I'll make some tea for everyone."

Aeris rushed to the room, me right on her heels with everyone following us into the tiny room.

Zack was situated on his bed and though his condition was pretty bad, he didn't look anywhere near as bad as Cloud had. He was actually able to keep his head in an upright position and there was a slight glint in his eyes, almost as though he almost recognized things, almost knew what was going on. Aeris must have thought so too since she turned to me directly, her eyes questioning.

"Is he going to be okay?" Red asked even as I moved closer and reached out with my mind to touch Zack's and found I was quite pleased with how well his mind had stayed together. Then again, unlike Cloud, he wasn't having the identity crisis of the decade.

"He doesn't look too bad," Kunsel stated then spied my smile. "You can do something, right?"

All eyes were on me then and I waved them off. "I want everyone except Aeris to leave the room. This will be a bit tedious, but we should be able to pull him through."

Yuffie let out a whoop even as a smiling Kunsel guided her out. Barret was already pulling out his PHS as he left.

"Good luck," Red stated as he left.

"Don't stress yourselves too much," was Cait Sith's warning as he followed everyone else out and shut the door.

Aeris sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at Zack as everyone left. Now she glanced in my direction. "Do you think we could?"

"His mind is there, he just needs help pulling through the last barriers."

"So, I will be learning a bit of practical mind healing today," Aeris said with a smile as she reached out and gently brushed some hair from Zack's face.

"Seems like it." I seated myself on a chair that was next to the bed. "The way this will work is that we'll need to enter Zack's mind. When we do, we'll need to find his spirit self and try to guide him back."

"Alright…" Aeris sounded a bit confused but as we both slipped into meditation and entered Zack's mind, she seemed to catch on.

Typically when you touch the mind of a person, their spirit and mind are aligned into one being. During meditations and extreme cases of disassociation such as what Zack and Cloud were experiencing to escape pain, that alignment is disrupted to the point where the mind simply becomes a place that the spirit inhabits until they can realign.

Zack's mind at the moment was dark when both Aeris and I entered. There was nothing in sight except for a tube that looked like what Zack had been forced into in Hojo's lab. Inside was a green haze and a dark form.

"Zack!" Aeris cried out as she skimmed through the darkness to the tube. "Zack!"

As Aeris beat at the tube, I stared in wonderment. Why would Zack try to escape pain by thinking of Hojo's labs? That seemed like the opposite thing to do in such a case.

"Zack! Come out of there!" Aeris ordered as she continued to bang at the glass tube.

"Wait," I called out as I approached also. "This seems like something he has to break himself." It would make sense since that was how it had been in the lab during Crisis Core. No one could reach him to let him out, but they could provide incentive to help him break out himself.

"Then what can we do?" Aeris demanded as she stared into the tube.

"Talk to him, convince him to come out himself."

Aeris stared at me for a second then turned back to the glass. "Zack, please, you made me wait for four years but you came back! You can come back now."

The form inside stared at Aeris blankly for a moment with glowing violet eyes before his head ducked slightly. "I'm not strong enough… I couldn't hold on…"

"To Cloud? He's alright! We already found him."

"I promised to protect not just him, and I had to be saved."

I blinked at Zack's words, not quite understanding why he was so hung up on this.

Aeris didn't understand either it would seem. "But everyone is just fine! We've never really had to save you; you were always strong enough to pull through."

"No, I was always helped, even when I escaped the lab the first. I never actually did anything on my own and when I did, I abandoned one of my duties to others."

"Like when?" Aeris demanded. "When Rachas and I were captured you came for us!"

"And we were all captured," Zack sounded so down on himself then. I had thought to let Aeris do the talking but I had to say something.

"You're a hero Zack, even if you don't think so. Why are you being so hardheaded?" I demanded as I stepped up to just behind Aeris.

Zack's eyes turned to me for a moment now. "You were captured after I promised to protect you too. And then I hurt you…"

"I got myself captured and you came to try to save us! As for the North Crate-"

"Not just the Crater," Zack interrupted. "I've said things to you that were unforgivable, things that were terrible and never even tried to apologize."

"That's something everyone does! Look at how often Cid and I fight: we're like oil and water."

"Everyone in the group has argued at least once," Aeris pointed out gently. "I've argued with Rachas plenty of times, even tried to disregard her warnings. I planned to do that today if I had to."

"Some hero I turned out to be," Zack suddenly said. "I keep needing someone else to save me. Angeal helped me in the labs, then he and Lazard helped while I was enroute to Banora and while there, then Rachas helped me get to Midgar." He stared at me then. "I met Minerva and she showed me what was supposed to happen to me, asking me to understand and not hate you."

"Zack…" I murmured as Aeris's fist pounded on the tube again.

"Then why are you in there?" she demanded. "Everyone needs help every once in a while, you couldn't hope to just be perfect!"

"But Sephiroth-"

"We're not facing Sephiroth, remember?" I stated. "We're facing a Calamity who has no support. Yes she's powerful, but she also has no allies. She's been defeated before."

"I could still hurt you because of her."

"Where's your pride as SOLDIER?" another voice demanded from the darkness, causing both Aeris and me to jump and wheel around.

A large, bulky man appeared from the darkness then, his eyes set on the tube and arms crossed. Angeal Hewley cut a very impressive figure and stood a good foot taller than me.

"Angeal…" Zack murmured, his voice disbelieving.

"Maybe these women are better off with you locking yourself off like this. A pathetic SOLDIER like you would never be able to achieve anything."

"Wait, Angeal!" Zack shouted as Angeal turned away as though to storm away only for Aeris to step in his way.

"Zack has been plenty brave! He's come for us even when we were in trouble, faced horrible odds, and continues to try everyday! Your words don't change that."

Realizing what Angeal had been up to; I turned halfway towards Angeal, away from Zack. "He used to be that way. Now he's letting some human mishaps get in his way. How much help would he be trying to help stop Jenova now? In stopping her masquerade as Sephiroth? Maybe he stood up to her once while she wore Sephiroth's skin, but like this he's useless."

Angeal's lips twitched slightly in a half smile before he nodded. "Some SOLDIER, going back on his word to help and protect his friends, especially when they might really need him."

Aeris's eyes glinted at both of us; she also seemed to realize what we were doing but chose to continue to defend Zack. "SOLDIER is still human! What matters is that he always kept trying, even when things were difficult."

"Used to try," Angeal snarled as he half turned back. "He's not worthy of SOLDIER anymore."

A yell finally erupted from the tube behind us then, and fists pounded on the glass tube.

"See, he can't even do anything about something he imagined himself. Maybe you should find someone else young lady." Angeal's last quip seemed to do the trick at last as Zack's fist finally pounded through the glass then the whole construct disappeared.

"Don't you dare tell her that!" Zack yelled as he reached out and grasped Angeal's suspenders. "I escaped a lab with Cloud, stopped Genesis, and faced a Zolom! I promised myself that I would become a hero and protect my friends!" Angeal's response was to smile and clasp Zack's arms.

"And don't you forget it again."

"Wait a minute…" Zack's expression showed that he realized that he'd just been had. Then it didn't seem to matter anymore. "Angeal… ANGEAL!" And Zack the puppy's arms circled Angeal in a hard hug.

"Easy there pup," Angeal actually laughed a little as he patted Zack's back. "Good to see you too."

"I really miss you. Everything has gone crazy and now Sephiroth isn't really Sephiroth. He's an insane alien woman who wants to destroy the Planet and we're all fighting him/her and-" Zack cut off when Angeal raised his hand.

"I know, so you're going to do exactly as a SOLDIER should. You're going to go back and help your friends and finally end this."

"And we should be going now," I stated.

"As should I," Angeal replied then smiled affectionately at Zack. "Don't join this side yet pup. Let me have a few good years to recover from you."

"Yeah… So… I guess…" Zack couldn't finish his sentence as we watched Angeal's form fade away from the mindscape. We were all silent for a moment longer then Zack seemed to gain a bit of his pep back. "Well, Aeris, Rachas, what are we waiting around here for? We've got a world to save!"

Aeris actually giggled as Zack affected a heroic pose and I was suppressing snickers myself.

"Alright, let's get going," Aeris said as she turned to a lighter portion of the darkened scape.

"So… How do we do it?" Zack asked after a moment.

I didn't need to explain, Aeris seemed to instinctively know what to do.

"Like this silly," she said as she walked to Zack's side and took his hand and a light began to appear.

Seeing no reason to stick around, I pushed my way from Zack's mind and returned to my body then blinked around at the surprisingly dark room.

A groan from the bed sounded then Aeris sat up and we both turned to see Zack's eyes finally grow sharp and his trademark grin appear.

"I could get used to waking up like this!" he declared cheesily, earning laughs from both of us.

Apparently, someone had been listening in the hallway for some sign of life because the next moment the door was swung open and Yuffie charged in with a happy yell, a tearful Terra right behind her. Barret piled in behind them and laughed loudly as he thumped Zack on the back hard enough to knock him off the bed.

"Hey, watch out for the sick!" Zack exclaimed as he dragged himself from the floor with a helping hand from Aeris. "Seriously though, that was very strange."

"Oh, and Zack," I called out then gave him a hard smack over the head when he looked at me.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"I promised Cloud that if he ever got too down on himself that I'd smack him. Consider this your now official inclusion in that promise."

"My turn!" Yuffie shouted as she attempted to swing at Zack also but missed when he ducked and struck me instead.

We were all laughing then as Locke and Kunsel managed to shove their way into the room as well. Zack was jostled around quite a bit, but he managed to keep his hand in Aeris's the entire time as Terra smothered her son with a hug then Locke gave a crushing one as well and Kunsel managed to reach across and ruffle Zack's hair.

A beeping from my PHS drew my attention then despite the ruckus and though it was tight, I did manage to bring the bulky contraption up to my ear.

"Hello?" I yelled over the noise of the room. Whoever was on the other end was either very quiet or not speaking at all. "Hello? You need to speak up, it's very loud here!"

Still no response came then the line went dead. Having never received a call even remotely like that while on Gaia, I could admit to being a little worried. Last I checked no one outside of AVALANCHE had my number.

Elbowing my way out of the room, I glared at the PHS, cursing that there was no caller id on this archaic gizmo. The thought to *69 the number occurred but I didn't know if that would even work in this world. Just as I was about to start calling everyone randomly to see if I could get in touch with them my phone rang again.

"Hello?" I asked, uncertain if this would be the same person as before or not.

"Rachas, good that I was able to get in touch with you. Listen, I hacked the network and from what I gathered they plan to attack Fort Condor the day after tomorrow."

"You sure about that Reeve?"

"Yes, quite. Also, don't call my number again. My public PHS has been confiscated. None of your numbers were stored on it but it was unfortunately the number I gave you."

"Confiscated? They're getting suspicious of you then?"

"It would seem so, but focus on keeping yourself safe."

My thoughts buzzed madly as I tried to think of possible things to do in this situation. If he admitted my foresight in a report then I'd probably be pursued worse than ever. There was also the timing of the report, why wait so long to hand in a report with such a skill listed? Talking to the Planet could account for some of what we were going to doing from here on out, but would it cover for enough?

"Do we need to come and evacuate you?" I asked, my throat tight.

"Not at the moment. But we will want to get this situation resolved quickly."

"If you even think you're about to be arrested, you call us," I ordered as Red turned and stared at me.

"Only if you keep a firm hold on that handkerchief I gave you," was Reeve's response. "Take care."

The line was cut then and if he were being watched then this would probably be how our calls were from now on.

"What's wrong?" Cait asked and I realized just how serious things must be if Reeve were calling me rather sending the information through his robot.

"Guys! Reeve just called!" I shouted over the noise coming from the bedroom. The noise level dropped a little as all heads turned towards me, all still wearing their smiles though, Zack attempting to ruffle Kunsel's hair.

"Shinra is planning to attack Fort Condor in two days. We got to get going if we're going to be there in time to protect the fort and grab the Huge materia!"

"What?" Barret roared as he yanked out his PHS again and pushed his way out of the bedroom. "Cid! Get that ship ready to go; we'll be headin' to Fort Condor!"

"What happened while I was out?" Zack demanded as he looked around the room for his clothes and weapon.

"A lot," Aeris replied as Terra helped her son by bringing his clothes. "Tifa and Barret were captured, Rachas was almost caught, WEAPON attacked, and we had to stop a train."

"Huh?" Zack demanded, his eyes bulging a bit as he wrestled his way into the shirt his mother had handed him.

"We'll explain in better detail later," I yelled as I herded Red and Cait towards the door of the hut. "Rest assured though, we can't seem to stay out of trouble and having you around makes it easier to get out of it."

"Where are we going?" Red asked as I opened the door.

"Back to the ship to give everyone an in-person update."

"Good idea," Kunsel said as he dragged Zack's Buster sword from the corner it had been situated in. "Tell the medic to be prepared to do an evaluation also."

"Why? I feel fine!" Zack's voice yelled before a yelp was heard and a crash sounded.

"Very smooth son," Locke laughed then turned to us, a serious expression on his face. "I realize you feel you must go immediately, but please watch out for Zack. He really doesn't understand his own limits."

"Believe you me, if the medic says he can't fight yet then we'll chain him to the infirmary cot if we must."


	41. Chapter 41

Saria: Not many reviews recently…

Tori: Could be because of the 4th of July weekend.

SA: Or because there isn't much action happening right now.

Saria: There'll be action soon enough.

Zas: Glad to know that you have a plan for the plot for once instead of your usual crack.

zzzzzzzzzz

"Fifteen hours to reach Fort Condor!" the navigator announced as the airship lifted off from Gongaga.

From the helm Cid groaned at the expected time of arrival. "What is with us and fucking early morning arrivals?" he demanded to no one in particular before smiling broadly as Zack hobbled into the cockpit, aided by Kunsel and Aeris. "Glad to have you back!"

Checking the local time and doing a rough calculation for the adjustment in time that we would have in Fort Condor, I laughed. "It'll be at least midday tomorrow when we arrive."

"Shit. Maybe by their clocks," Cid replied as he shoved a new cigarette into his mouth.

"NO!" Yuffie yelled as she appeared and snatched the cancer stick from Cid's lips. "Do this outside!" she exclaimed as she tossed the cigarette away.

"My airship," Cid declared as he pulled out yet another cigarette. "As the Captain, I could just kick you off."

Laughing, I turned and walked out of the bridge to avoid the upcoming argument. It had surprised me to find out how late it had gotten while Aeris and I had been with Zack. It hadn't even felt like an hour to me, but it was dark when we had departed Gongaga.

Passing through the galley, I snagged an apple and a cup of juice before heading to the deck. I couldn't really stargaze from there but it was better than staring out a window. As I was heading to the stairs to the deck Zack and Aeris appeared on the walkway, heading for the stairs. I ducked behind a post to avoid being seen.

"I really want to see the stars tonight."

"That sounds like it would be nice," Aeris said.

"Let's go then!" Zack said excitedly and though he still leaned a bit on her, the former SOLDIER attempted to dash up the stairs.

Zack took almost double the time that it normally did to climb the stairs, but he had been off his feet for over a week with mako poisoning so I guess we shouldn't be surprise.

Turning, I headed towards the stairs that would take me down to my cabin.

_**The Deck**_

Zack heaved a sigh as he leaned against the railing on the deck of the airship. It was hard to believe that over a week had passed without him knowing it. The warm welcome he had received was great though.

Beside him, Aeris also leaned on the rail of the ship, a smile on her face.

"It's really pretty out here," she said after a moment.

"More so because you're here." Zack grinned as Aeris playfully slapped his arm before sobering. "I guess I owe both you and Rachas some thanks for helping me out."

"And that man who also appeared. Who was he Zack? Rachas seemed to recognize him."

"She would. That was Angeal, my mentor," Zack felt his smile turn a bit sad. "He was from Banora also. He died some time ago though. How do you think he was able to talk to us today?"

Aeris thought for a moment before answering. "You were in the Lifestream. Maybe his spirit latched on so he could help you if he needed to."

Zack stared out at the horizon and found himself biting back a laugh. "Guess that's three times he's saved me now, not to mention all the times I don't know about or that he's helped me by watching or saving someone else." Clenching the railing beneath his hand, Zack stared out at the horizon once more before turning to Aeris. "I couldn't save him, but I promise from now on I'll do everything I can to protect everyone else."

Aeris smiled at this man that she knew and loved, so passionate and determined. They were going to need those qualities of his in the future.

"So, what happened while I was out of commission?"

Blinking, Aeris thought back on the week and a half they had had before starting. "Well, Rufus was the one who got us all out of the Northern Crater."

"I'll need to thank him for that!" Zack said with a grin. "Just give him one black eye instead of two when this is all over."

"When we were in the air, he ordered the arrest of all of us and had us locked in a room."

"Never mind what I said."

"Cait Sith was the one to free us and guided us to the house of his operator who took us in and hid us."

"Sounds like a decent guy!"

"Barret and Tifa were the only ones not to escape due to Tifa being in shock from what had happened. Rufus made plans to have them executed publicly."

"Bastard."

"Zack!" Aeris reprimanded lightly. "We began making plans and Mr. Tuesti came to Junon under orders from Rufus that all executives organize there. He helped us make plans and disguises to rescue Barret and Tifa."

Zack blinked slightly. He knew who Reeve was because of the debacle Rachas and Aeris had gone on but for him to go so far? "Does he seem alright?"

"Yes, he seems a respectable person." Aeris smiled in a knowing fashion which confused Zack slightly. "On the day of the execution we all had posts, Cait Sith going in disguised as a reporter, Yuffie as their backup outside, and Rachas, Kunsel, and Vincent standing by to create distractions if need be."

"So, everything went well?" Zack asked with a grin.

Aeris glanced out at the horizon, her eyes so what lost for a moment. "No."

_**Normal**_

Giving Zack and Aeris their private time meant the deck was off limits to me, and seeing as how there was really nowhere else to go seeing as how I didn't want to go to the cockpit while Cid was there, I wandered through the ship until I found the chocobo stable area.

Seeing nothing to do there, I turned and once more moved through the halls of the ship. As nice of a ship as the Hidhwind was, if you didn't have duties to attend to, it was easy to get bored here. I thought of raiding the former Presidential suite to look for a book then discarded the idea. Reeve was unlikely to take control of Cait Sith anytime soon. Red might be up for some conversation. There was also the possibility of training, practicing my own foresight which I was ashamed to say I had neglected. With so many things remaining the same along the storyline I had assumed nothing really bad would happen, much less like what had almost happened in Junon. And we were about to go to Fort Condor which Shinra was mobilizing against.

"Come on! I wanna go on the deck!" a voice called and Yuffie and Kunsel appeared moments later.

"Seems you're adjusting well to the medication," I called after Yuffie as she rushed past me.

Kunsel laughed as he followed Yuffie at a much more sedate pace. "She seems capable of bouncing back from just about anything."

"Took long enough," I replied as Yuffie called out again from the base of the stairs that led to the third level.

Descending to the cabin level, I opened the door to my tiny room and toed off my shoes before sitting on the bed Indian style. It took a moment to calm my racing thoughts, whether or not I wanted to admit it, I was very disturbed by the appearance of people who shouldn't be here, namely Azul and his soldiers. As my head slowly cleared though, aided by the calming tides of the Lifestream, I began to focus on the next several days. We'd have Fort Condor to defend and Shinra would probably know about us taking the Huge materia from Fort Condor, there was a possibility they might send more Deepground operatives to try to capture several of us.

The image of the Fort began to form through the mists in my head. The image was a bit wobbly, but I saw many different battles taking place around the mountain-like structure of the fort. Shinra troopers ranging everywhere from MP to machine to SOLDIER were attempting to lay siege to the mountain with no particular strategy that I could see. Mercenaries, the Highwind, the lot of us, and occupants of the Fort alike were stationed around the fort, all of us fulfilling some sort of function. At no point did I see anything even close to resembling dark bodysuits with glowing blue lines.

_**The Deck**_

Zack gaped at what Aeris had to say. Gone for a week and Rachas and Kunsel both have run-ins with opponents that they couldn't beat and ended up running? And barely making it in Rachas's case.

"So, a humungous guy with blue hair chased Rachas through Junon then she and Tifa jumped off the end of the cannon to get away from him and Scarlet?"

"Yes."

Zack groaned then leaned back against the banister, he should have known something like this would eventually happen. He didn't remember anyone in SOLDIER with blue hair, but with all of Hojo's experiments it was possible. Kunsel's opponent wasn't regular either and he was certain he had never heard the names Azul or Argento before.

"Guess we should have known this was coming sooner or later," he finally admitted then saw Aeris's still distressed face. "You couldn't have known or done anything, so don't let it bother you," he offered as comfort.

Aeris shook her head to clue Zack in that that wasn't what disturbed her. "It wasn't that, it was-"

The deck door swung open then and Yuffie bounced onto the deck, still a bit wobbly on her feet. Kunsel followed her out onto the deck as well.

"Ah man! Zack and Aeris are already here!" Yuffie announced to the entire ship.

Kunsel laughed at the girl's outburst then looked up at Zack. "Should we give you some privacy?"

"We're fine," Zack replied. "Hey, about Junon. What happened there?"

Yuffie grinned brightly. "You mean other than Rachas and Reeve hooking up?"

Zack felt his jaw drop slightly as he stared first at Yuffie then Kunsel who rolled his eyes. "Rachas hooked up with that spy? That's impossible!"

Yuffie huffed at being doubted. "But I saw them! They kissed several times!"

Kunsel laughed at Zack's still shocked expression as he turned to him. "It's true. Those two seem to get along quite well."

A gentle hand settled on Zack's shoulder then and he turned to face Aeris once again. "He did help us when he didn't have to and after meeting him face-to-face I can say he's a very nice man."

"It was very funny though when I walked in on them in bed together the first time!"

_**Normal**_

Pulling out my pack, I proceeded to count out how much money I currently had. The mercenaries should be easy to come across so long as we had the money for them, most mercenaries flocked to this sort of area where there was a long standing conflict.

"Where's Joel when I need him?" I muttered as I thought of a friend of mine who had entered security for his profession. "Oh that's right; he's on Earth with all of his other Blackwater/Xe friends and contacts with all their special forces training." I groaned as I lay back on the bunk. The amount of gil I had was at 574,000. If the going rate of mercenaries were the same as it was during the game then we should be better than fine. Good thing too since unlike in the game we wouldn't just be fighting one monster if we didn't have enough mercenaries.

Kunsel and Vincent were certain to have excellent battle planning skills so they should be able to plan accordingly and create a devastating plan with minimal cost to us.

"RACHAS!" The door of my cabin flew open then and Zack stumbled into the room and face planted into the desk after tripping over my pack.

"Careful with that, we don't have much room here," I informed him with a laugh as he forced himself back up and gingerly tested his nose.

"Did he hurt you?" Zack demanded as he grabbed my shoulders once he had determined that his nose was just fine.

I blinked in confusion. Who was he talking about? The most recent person I could think of was Azul… Ah, Aeris must have told Zack about Azul. "I was fast enough to keep away from him for the most part though he did throw me into a wall at one point. Worst thing about that guy was his mouth though, death threats in every sentence."

"Why the hell did you sleep with him then?"

"Huh?" I stared blankly at Zack then gagged at just the thought of sleeping with a muscle bound galute like Azul. That honestly seemed like the most disgusting proposition I had ever heard. "Why would I ever sleep with that blue haired brute?"

Zack now blinked at me in confusion. "I thought Reeve had black hair."

I blushed at the realization of my mistake. "I thought you were talking about the guy who tried to capture me in Junon. Wait, you thought Reeve hurt me?"

"Did he?"

"No, who said he did?"

Zack now blushed faintly and looked a bit sheepish. "No one really. Yuffie just said you two were sleeping together though."

"There weren't enough places to sleep so some of us ended up sharing."

"You guys looked more like you were snuggling!" Yuffie called from the hall. A light thump was heard a moment later. "Ow! Hey, I'm serious!"

"So, he didn't force you?" Zack seemed to have calmed down a fair amount. "Didn't hold anything over your head?"

"No! Reeve was a gentleman. He even offered to try to bunk with Kunsel or Vincent and allow me to have the bed to myself."

Zack finally relaxed completely before stiffening again. "So, the guy that tried to catch you in Junon was screaming death threats?"

"Zack," Kunsel called from the hallway, he sounded a bit exasperated.

Zack groaned but did back off a bit. "I think it would probably be best if you and Aeris didn't fight tomorrow."

"What?" I demanded, instantly a bit miffed. "How can you say that? Aeris and I are the best spell casters and healers in our group! We'll be needed without a doubt!"

"That's not fair Zack!" Aeris was also at the door, her own expression displaying disdain.

"Actually, it might be for the best," Kunsel stated. "Shinra seemed very interested in capturing Rachas the other day in Junon, they probably still are and quite possibly you as well Aeris."

I glared slightly at Kunsel, disliking what he was insinuating. "I'm not helpless."

"But you're also not a great fighter, you've admitted that yourself in the past. You both would probably be best suited for staying out of sight and healing the wounded while offering limited support with spells."

"Then what of you?" I countered. "Unless you have forgotten, you were engaged by a very powerful being also."

"Unlike others, I'm a warrior first. I'll have back-up around me that could offer support while defending myself. You would just be trying to run away."

I understood where he was coming from but I didn't like it in the least. The most I could do against beings such as Azul was annoy them as I ran for the hills and hoped he chased me without trampling or ripping up others.

"We'll see when we get to Fort Condor," Aeris put in. "They might have a good area for spellcasters such as Rachas and I where we wouldn't be exposed."

"Maybe," Zack relented before he finally backed out of my cabin. "I'd just feel better if you two weren't exposed."

"It's probably more dangerous for us to be separated," I offered. "If you set us too far away from everyone else then if we do get attacked we might not be able to get help in time."

Zack groaned in realization that I was correct, like it or not Aeris and I couldn't be too far away from everyone else, especially in case something did happen.

"We'll decide what to do tomorrow when we get a look at the fort," Kunsel explained to Zack.

"Fine." Zack looked upset but he couldn't always have his way.

Kunsel sighed before turning and departing also, Yuffie alongside of him.

"Were you using foresight?" Aeris asked after the three had left.

"Yeah, I saw the battles that will happen at Fort Condor. I didn't see that Azul character anywhere."

Aeris sighed in relief as she leaned against the wall. "You know how Zack is, if he thinks someone is in danger, he'll try to do everything he can for them."

"To the point where if he fails to save them or views it as a failure he will beat himself up," I responded. "He is very much like a child in that regard. He needs to learn he can't do everything and expect everything to turn out well."

Aeris sighed as she nodded. "I'd better go make sure Zack doesn't try to do something like try to eat the galley out of food. And thanks for today."

I closed the door to the cabin again after Aeris had left and glanced around the tiny room. It was strange; I was here with future knowledge, Jedi knowledge and powers, two knives, a sword, and my full education. I had encountered "Sephiroth" the puppet of Jenova and lived as well as escaped from a Deepground behemoth named Azul. AVALANCHE had more members and support than I thought we would have yet at the moment I felt borderline powerless.

Blowing out a breath, I decided I'd had enough of this room and walked back out into the hall. Though I'd been through the other levels of this ship I had yet to really look around on this one. Most of the doors led to bedrooms and I made a point to not go into those in respect for the privacy of the occupants. One door in particular drew me though, a basic door like any other on the ship with no marking. Seeing no reason to be shy, I opened the door quietly and glanced in.

The room appeared to be a basic study with several books scattered about. It was larger than most of the rooms, extending the distance of about three rooms and had two small desks crammed into the room. Pushing in, I looked over the various books, all paperback, that were in the room. Some were about psychology, some were on teamwork and motivational speaking, none were books that I would call purely entertaining.

Picking up one of the psychology books, I flipped through the book idly, wondering if Rufus had read this right before making his various speeches. He seemed the type that would do something like that.

A strange chapter caused me to stop flipping and go back several pages to insure I had read the title correctly. Elemental Personalities was the chapter title and I flipped through the chapter to get an idea of what it was about. It was all about identifying the various personality types and the aspects of each type of personality. The strengths, weaknesses, and various traits that you could expect from the people typed as such. Finding a chart of the personality types that listed common traits, I read through the chart for Air and believed myself to fulfill most of those points, just as I had always thought I was. But I needed to make my Cetra sword and our one wind type of materia didn't suit me for some reason or another. Luckily there was a note at the bottom of the chart that said I could give myself a personality test at the end of the book.

Flipping to the indicated page, I began the test for myself, noting my answers on a scrap of paper with a pen that had been left lying around. For the most part the questions were questions of preference that covered colors, preferred subjects such as math or science, and response testing. On more than one question I had to take a moment to think over what I would do but each time answered as truthfully as I could. The test was forty questions long and took me a few moments to figure out my results which I found a little surprising.

The elements you could be were earth, air, water, fire, darkness, light, and lightning. My results indicated I was a water type personality with strong supporting attributes of earth and air.

Flipping back to the chapter, I read the short passage that covered the water-type personality with a level of trepidation.

"On the surface a water-type is calm and relaxed. However, appearances can be deceiving, because underneath they are powerful and emotional. They are creative and introspective though not completely solitary. They like the company of others as much as they like the peace of solitude. Well-liked and easy to get along with unless their temper is unleashed at which they lash out to crush their opponent in one swoop. Kind and nurturing, they love helping others and cannot stand seeing pain. Best matched with earth or light."

Sheer curiosity about my third attribute made me look down at the earth passage.

"The typical earth-type is sustaining of all types of life and symbolizes structure and stability. They are kind, honest, passionate, and industrious, usually possessing a great amount of inner strength. Generally easy to get along with though in the extreme they can be unyielding and defensive. Naturally helpful and loyal, they value being needed and open to people without fear of judgment. Best matched with water or fire."

"What are you doing?"

Glancing up I saw Vincent standing in the doorway of the study, Lucrecia Crescent's journal in one hand.

"N-nothing much," I replied as I shut the psychology book and set it aside. I'd need to keep the possibility of water in mind, and possibly try to find some sort of water materia to test. Maybe Yuffie would let me test with Leviathan. "Are you still reading through the book from Lucrecia Crescent?"

Vincent glanced down at the book then shook his head in the negative. "I finished it a while ago."

I nodded, uncertain of what else to ask. "Did it help you?"

Vincent shrugged slightly then moved into the room quietly. "Mind answering my first question?"

"I was evaluating my elemental personality."

Vincent blinked, obviously confused. "Why waste time on such a thing?"

"Because I recently realized I don't seem to know myself as well as I thought I did."

"Will this be essential for something?"

I nodded as I tried to think of any of the materia that might help me with this. "There's a type of weapon I can build but one of the things I need is to know myself well enough to build it to suit me specifically."

Vincent nodded slightly. "You were surprised by the results?"

"Yes, I really wasn't expecting it."

The dark man nodded once again. "Growing up is the eventual stripping of what you thought yourself to be and facing reality. Hopefully this wasn't too disappointing."

I stared at the book again for a minute before a slow smile crossed my face. "Actually, I think I really don't mind this, maybe it'll grow on me."

After poking through the books a few minutes longer but finding nothing that I thought of as interesting, I wished Vincent goodnight before heading back down the silent hall. Still not feeling the need to sleep, I finally was able to make my visit to the deck and watched the stairs in the horizon. Cait Sith found and woke me up some time after midnight so I would go down to my room.

The next morning found the lot of us congregated on the bridge of the Highwind. The ten of us who were present were watching the landscape beneath us as the reactor came into view, the condor at the pinnacle of the reactor was enormous, bigger than any bird I had ever seen in my life and its egg was at least as tall as me.

"Would ya look at that…" Barret murmured in wonderment.

"Imagine the barbeque we could have with that sucker!" Cid declared with a laugh which earned him a slap upside the head from me.

Kunsel on the other hand stared at the place with an evaluating eye. "This place should be easy enough to defend," he finally announced out loud. "We need to see how many troops the rebels have though."

Vincent and Red both nodded as well.

"Plenty of points where we can set traps and various machines. We'll really need to keep an eye on the entrances to the fort though, especially if they don't start higher up the slope."

"What about us?" one of the crewmembers called out. "We're in on this too, we've all agreed on that."

"By 'we' you mean the entire crew?" Kunsel asked with a calculating look.

"Of course! We're not going to be left out!"

"Hell yeah!" Cid cheered.

"Hav' ta hammer out a signal for y'all," Barret called from near the window.

As the Highwind landed a moment later next to the fort, a number of people came into view from the fort, peeling away from the walls and out from behind boulders. The guerillas were a rough bunch and more closely resembled manual laborers than fighters. Of course there were quite a few mercenaries also; most of them offering their services for pay with many more willing to pick up arms if the money for such services could be scrounged up.

The welcoming party we met was a rough group comprised of six men, two of whom were obviously mercenaries. They stared at the Highwind with mixed expressions of awe and trepidation which increased exponentially when Zack and Kunsel jumped to the ground first.

"SOLDIERs!" one of the men declared in disgust. "Come to demand that we surrender, Shinra?"

"Shinra?" Zack declared with a laugh at the accusation. "We're not Shinra!"

"Glowing eyes and a sword that big, who else could you be?" another demanded.

Barret had reached the ground by now and stood proudly before the men. "We're AVALANCHE!" he yelled.

"Fighting Shinra and collecting materia!" Yuffie added as she bounced to the ground as well.

"Fighting Shinra?" one of the men asked with a bit of hope. "You guys here to help then?"

"Fuck yeah!" Cid announced as he also dropped to the ground, most of us now standing before the men.

"AVALANCHE huh? Aren't you the ones that Shinra accused of unleashing those giant monsters and summoning that huge rock?" Judging from his demeanor, this guy was definitely a mercenary.

"Accused, not guilty of the act," Red stated, causing a few of the men to jump.

"Never said you were. Welcome to Fort Condor." This man looked to be the commander despite looking very much like a civilian. "We don't have much but if you're here to help then we're willing to share. Don't have much money though."

"We don't need it," I called out. "In fact, some of us may be willing to donate to your cause."

"What we are asking in return though is the Huge materia in the reactor that Shinra is after."

"You can have it!" the commander replied with a grin as he turned to lead the way into the fort. "Is that airship of yours going to give us support also?"

"She can do that!" Cid called as we entered the roughly hewn chamber with a single rope descending from the ceiling. Barret groaned loudly at the sight.

"Inconvenient, but it makes defending this place a hell of a lot easier," one of the men laughed.

Kunsel carried Red up to the next floor while the rest of us climbed the knotted rope.

"Good thing you guys came, we have some money and fighters here for the cause, but there aren't much of either and we've had quite a few battles now. A number of the mercenaries are threatening to leave if we don't pay 'em."

"How much are they charging?" Zack asked.

"Depends, most of 'em want between 400 to 500 gil a piece per battle. That's a lotta money for us."

"Sounds like how much I paid for you guys," Barret stated with a pointed look at Zack.

"And if I remember correctly, we never got paid for the second job," I reminded him.

Zack blinked for a moment before turning on Barret also. "Hey, that's right! And we've been making most of the big purchases since leaving Midgar."

"…And I helped you attack Shinra HQ!" Barret responded after a moment of thought.

Laughter from some of the men drew our attention then. "Man, you guys got guts!"

We continued our climb through the mountain then, going up two short stairways before taking another rope to the main observation area where a younger version of the fort commander stood upon a box. He wore simple dark grey clothes with a light grey headband.

"This is where we do most of our battle planning and direct our troops, of which we have about two hundred left."

"Two hundred?" Everyone looked more than a little shocked that there were so few troops.

"Two hundred who are willing to fight at the moment. There are more mercenaries but as I said before they're expensive."

I yanked my pack around and counted out 50,000 gil as several other members did the same. Yuffie was very stingy and only threw in 1,000 gil at first but after Kunsel reminded her that more people meant a better fight for us she relented and forked over 5,000 instead. The grand total collected was 232,000 gil from us and our guides thus far looked shocked by the amount.

"So, how many troops should this get us?" Zack asked.

"Four hundred sixty-four," I called out.

"Five hundred fifteen," Cait Sith replied.

"Five hundred eighty," Kunsel said a moment later.

"Why the fuck are there three different numbers?" Cid demanded as the three of us glanced at one another.

"I assume they used different prices," Red replied.

"I used the cheapest figure," Kunsel confirmed.

"I assumed 500 gil a piece," I admitted.

"Right between them," Cait Sith piped.

"So, we can more than double our troops?" the commander looked overjoyed at the notion.

"Better 'an that, Highwind crew does want to be involved so y'all will have air support," Cid cut in.

The men were grinning now as the commander pulled out a map.

"Shinra troops are gathering here," he indicated a point on the map. "We currently count one thousand troops and our interceptions of their communications tell us they intend to attack tomorrow."

Barret whistled. "Shinra ain't playin here."

"So, are you all fighters?" the commander asked as he glanced over our group.

"Eight of us are," Zack said as he stepped up and pointed at Aeris and me. "These two are healers and spellcasters."

"Spellcasters! We haven't had many of those, most of our distance fighters are gunners."

"Believe me when I say these two are good."

"We can place them with our Repair corps then, they stay away from the battles for the most part."

"Perfect," Kunsel said as he moved off with Vincent in tow as they looked over the available mercenaries for the upcoming battle.

The rest of the group was divided into the various groups for the battle. Barret, Cait Sith, and Yuffie all went to the shooter corps. Zack, Cid, and Red were all fighters. Kunsel and Vincent were to be grouped as fighters as well but would also be in charge of directing the battle. We separated to meet the others involved with our groups, Barret yelling to keep our PHSs on us at all points.

"So, what do you think?" I asked Aeris as we followed one of the men to where the repairers were headquartered.

"It's rough, but they do have some organization," she replied as we climbed down the rope and walked down a tunnel that I didn't remember from the game. "Do you think they'll stand a chance tomorrow? I mean, we'll try our best and we have the Highwind for back-up, but we're still outnumbered."

"We should be just fine. These people have been holding on this long and Shinra doesn't seem to be expecting anything massive from them, just the tired dregs of the forces that were loyal to this cause."

"Glad you think that," a new voice said. Standing before us was a rough looking man with a rather thin build wearing dirty grey coveralls. "So, you're the healers from the group that arrived in the airship?"

"Yep!"

"Welcome to the Repair division, my name is Decker. As you can guess, we do little fighting and focus instead on field medicine and repairing catapults and traps when they are damaged. Either of you have experience in that?"

"No," both of us responded simultaneously.

"I also heard that you are decent spellcasters, is that true?"

Aeris and I exchanged looks now then shrugged. "It's our main focus," I offered.

"Good, you can cover for us then when you're not healing." He turned then and walked further down the hall, signaling for us to follow. The opening in the hill he led us to was high up and several people could be seen running around the hill, obviously drilling for the actual attack. "This is the point where we enter the battlefield from. Don't worry about the other side; it's too sheer for any attack to be made from there. The attack force and defending force both enter at a lower area than this."

I nodded before gingerly climbing through the opening and climbing up and down the hill, Aeris in tow. We found where the hatches for the other forces then located the various catapults, tristoners, and stoners. There were a grand total of fourteen scattered about the hill and several of their operators were practicing with them. Aeris and I then spent the next several hours locating good cover spots, practiced moving up and down the slope, and in general just learned the layout of the hill.

As it became afternoon, we reentered the fort and found the other members of AVALANCHE. It was easily done since everyone was congregating in the lookout room where Kunsel and Vincent continued to hammer out the details of exactly where to place each and every person. Apparently the commander and his troops felt that since we were bankrolling them that we should be the ones to order his troops. The mercenaries had no problem with this so long as they were paid and the troops came around to the idea once they encountered Vincent and Kunsel or were told that they were experienced in the military.

The battle plan was easy enough; the shock trooper was going to be the Highwind which would start the battle with a barrage of our opponents before they ever engaged us. Once the actual battle started the men could continue to help though they would have to aim carefully. They would also serve as our watch, looking for any back-up that might come.

Shooters were stationed just below the repairers and would be expected to cover for us until we hit the defenders who were stationed below them. Defenders had multiple duties; fighting the enemy and covering for the repairers on the field were only two of them. Fighters and attackers shared common duties on the field with the exception that fighters had authority to move on their own and attackers moved in groups of at least three.

Aeris and I were the only two who would have role changes during the actual fighting. When the fighting started we wouldn't descend below the shooters line and would heal those who could reach us through spells, firing offensive spells when we either could or when it was necessary.

The Fort Condor commander was adamant that we stay in the fort that night since Shinra could attack at any moment. There were no objections and we crashed in one of the barracks that night.

Confusion was what I woke up to as the air filled with the noise of bells going off. The room we were in was filled with men and women rolling over, sitting up, and jumping to their feet.

"They're attacking!" someone yelled from the hall outside as I climbed to my feet and set down Cait Sith who I'd been using as a plushy. "Everyone get to your battle stations!"

Zack was helping Aeris to her feet when I turned in their direction and he pushed us both toward the door. "Get going!"

"Got it!" I called back as Aeris and I rushed down the hall then up a rough stairway to the gathering place for the repairers. The entire place was like a beehive with people running every which way to get to their stations and I prayed that they would make it in time. We finally got to see the entirety of the repairers unit then and it wasn't impressive. Out of over seven hundred people here, a grand total of fifteen was the entirety of the repairer unit. It didn't seem big in the game, but in real life it seemed like an abysmally small number of medics and workmen for the catapults. And only thirteen of them would descend below the shooters' line.

"Shinra has begun its march on this reactor!" Decker announced. "They're still a ways away from the hill so we have time for everyone to get into position. You should already know where you are to be situated and remember, don't engage unless you've no other choice. Our job is to fix people and machines."

"Yes sir!" most of the people present shouted before we started a slow stream out to the hill. The sky had just begun to lighten in the horizon and on the hill below us the various other groups had begun to appear. Most of the other repairers took cover just above the shooters line as a few of them descended to the lower levels, ready to start immediately when the fighting began.

Slowly coming towards the hill were messy lines of Shinra MPs, monsters, and what seemed to be SOLDIERs. I couldn't see them well but it seemed the SOLDIERs and beasts were overtaking the MPs; any formation that they were supposed to be keeping was broken within moments.

Aeris grabbed my arm then and pulled me behind a large pile of boulders. We watched as the Shinra troops closed in on the hill, drawing closer with every passing minute. The entire side of the hill seemed to fall into a hush as every one of the troops and mercenaries either ducked behind boulders or man-made piles.

They were almost at the foot of the hill a mere couple hundred feet from the first line when the Highwind appeared with a roar! The airship soared low over the Shinra assailants and with a loud metallic shriek, missiles were fired from the ship, smashing down on the frontline of SOLDIERs and monsters then slowly moving back. The missiles didn't take out as many of the Shinra soldiers as any of us had probably hoped, but they did significantly cut down the number of SOLDIERs that were able to continue the charge.

As the Highwind blasted back into the sky, most likely to reload its guns, the catapults began to fire, raining large rocks and flaming bombs upon the field as the MPs officially began to fall back and allow the monsters and SOLDIERs to handle the situation. The first of the monsters and SOLDIERs managed to pass the catapults a minute later and clashed with the first of the fighters and attackers.

That was the signal for several more of the repairers to begin their descent to the defenders line.

The fights were brutal, you could tell even from the vantage point of Aeris and me. We caught glimpses every so often of Zack as he charged in and cut down a SOLDIER and of Red as he latched onto the wrist of a large horned monster with three wicked looking claws on its paw.

A call went out then and the shooters all rose, the signal for the rest of the repair unit to descend to their level. Aeris and I ran to join the line and prepared to begin our spells. We both fell in next to Barret and Cait Sith, Yuffie having already broken rank to join the fighting below.

"Good of ya to join us!" Barret yelled as he raised his gun and began to fire on the approaching troops.

"Glad to see this is going so well!" Focusing on my fire materia, I shot a fire spell at a soldier who had managed to break through the ruckus of fighters and attackers, roasting him before a defender smacked the guy.

"Advance!" a shout sounded and the line of shooters descended several steps before the command to hold was heard. Below us I saw a repairer go down as he attempted to provide first aid. He had number of people waiting to be treated as well, and seeing no other repairer close, I made a snap decision.

"Cait, cover me!" I called as I rushed down the hill to where the repairer groaned, the wound he had received bleeding profusely.

A scream sounded behind me and the air to my right seemed to vibrate. Glancing in that direction, I saw a wyvern get hit by Cait's invisible attack and hit the ground. A defender was upon it a moment later, his heavy club smashing the wings of the beast.

The repairer was too still when I stopped next to him and a quick check showed that I hadn't gotten there in time. Turning my attention to those needing healing instead, I focused on my cure materia and cast the spell on the first patient who sported a large gash on his arm, obviously made by claws.

Cait's mog raced past as I turned my attention to the next patient and as I cast cure, a loud grunt was heard so I knew the mog must have been used to defend me.

_**Frontline**_

Zack grimaced as his sword bit deeply into the flesh of yet another of their foes, this one a SOLDIER Third class. He never thought in all of his days that he would have to fight other SOLDIERs but at this point it seemed unavoidable.

Around him were the various cries of the wounded and they came from ally and foe alike.

An explosion told him that Cid had used yet another stick of dynamite but he didn't have the time to spare the man a glance as he rushed to Yuffie's aid as a Grand Horn attempted to swipe at the girl. Hefting his sword, he pushed from the ground hard and came down hard on the beast's neck, killing it instantly.

"You ok?" he asked Yuffie as he jumped clear of the monster.

"Fine," Yuffie grunted as she stumbled to her feet while clutching her side. "I'm not beat!"

Sighing, Zack glanced in the direction that he knew the nearest repairer should be and did a double take when he saw Rachas in place of the guy who'd been dealing with the wounded. He was on the ground, not moving.

"Shit," Zack muttered even as the Highwind roared in again. "Yuffie, Rachas is right over there!" He pointed in the direction of their friend. "Go cover for her, the repairer is down!"

"On it!" Yuffie yelled over the sound of the Highwind launching its missiles all over again.

A survey of the surviving Shinra troops at this point showed that there were relatively few left as far as SOLDIERs and monsters went and the MPs were actually peeling off and retreating one by one. The few that got past the line of attackers and fighters were easily put down by the shooters. All around were bodies covering the ground, some dead, some dying, and some just too wounded to drag themselves to a repairer.

Getting ready for another charge, Zack held the Buster sword high as he launched himself at yet another monster, hacking at its legs first to stop its charge. The beast went down easily and Zack slammed his sword over the back of this one's neck also. The monster's thick blood smeared over the ground, mixing with what was already present.

This was war, a dirty, bloody campaign where people killed one another and SOLDIERs did this well. SOLDIER, the perfect den of monsters was what Genesis had called it and for a while Zack had agreed. Only monsters could kill like this and not regret it. SOLDIER had really lost its way if this was what they were doing anymore.

A howl alerted him to Red's proximity then and he pulled the Buster sword into position, ready for the next fight.

_**Shinra**_

Reeve was both relieved and sympathetic when Tseng showed up for work that morning, apparently completely recovered from his wounds. The reason for those feelings could be described with one word: Scarlet.

The woman had been somewhat relentless in her pursuit of him and Reeve found a new level of respect form for the Turk that usually received her attentions. He couldn't go anywhere without Scarlet trying to find a reason to either talk to him or try to make him accept her invitations for a meal.

He hadn't even been able to visit his mother recently the way he had promised himself.

A search of his apartment found the bugs that he knew the Turks had planted and as difficult as it was to leave them where they were, Reeve forced himself to do it. It was unfortunate but he couldn't risk contacting anyone with his private PHS, not even Rachas, and taking control of Cait Sith was out of question.

Okay, so maybe he found a fair amount of amusement and vindication at seeing the man almost squirm under the fussing of the red woman.

Rufus was angry about the interruption of the execution and had tried to find someone to blame. He had eventually pegged it all on the guard who had helped Scarlet secure Tifa in the execution room and if Reeve's sources could be trusted, the man had been dragged off to the 68th floor. It was unlikely he would ever be heard from again.

Now though, most of the budget that was allocated to relief efforts to those affected by WEAPON was being redirected elsewhere and he couldn't get any information by normal means! And with the Turks watching him it wasn't like he could just hack into the network and find out what was being done.

Leaning back, Reeve wished luck to those fighting in Fort Condor even as the President brought the meeting of the day to order.


	42. Chapter 42

Saria: Long week…

Zas: I'll say. Start out in Oakland then head to Cleveland and now you're in Tampa.

Tori: When do you find time to write?

Saria: Mostly in the hotel rooms.

SA: Speaking of hotel rooms these sheets are dirty and the sink is clogged.

zzzzzzzzzz

_**Shinra**_

Hojo growled angrily as he tried another mako injection on himself to try to stabilize the Jenova cells he had infected himself with but little by little he found he had to admit certain truths. He was a genius, there was no doubting that. But just being a genius didn't guarantee him a strong body, and his was neither young nor strong. Even Jenova cells and mako couldn't change that.

He needed a new body, a young and strong one that was worthy of his genius. One that could make his greatest ambition possible and would remain strong for the years it may take to gather all necessary components.

Hojo was certain of several things though: at the very least he needed Valentine and that Ancient. Valentine was needed for study since he couldn't find Crescent's notes on how she had saved the man's life. The computers that contained that information were destroyed when that blasted reactor was destroyed, the fires extending all the way through the underground passages to those beneath the Shinra Mansion. Hopefully the Ancient would know something about the research and even if she didn't, her abilities could be quite useful if appropriately directed.

For now though, what body was worthy of becoming his vessel and more importantly, how would he take it?

_**Normal**_

The battle had been going on for almost an hour as the line of shooters continued to slowly descend the mountain as the attackers and fighters continued to handle most of the fighting of land troops.

There was never a shortage of those that needed to be healed; I did start having to go to them though since many couldn't make it to me or one of the other repairers.

As I moved to the various people who needed healing, I started to conserve magic as much as I could, only healing people just to the point where their wounds were not going to be life threatening.

Yuffie stayed by me for a short while but Cait Sith and his mog stayed by my side the entire time. Despite that, I did end up having to draw my tantō or sword several times to defend myself. It was slow coming, but exhaustion began to sink into my form from the exertion of running up and down the slope, almost constantly casting spells for healing.

My first stumble was so time after that first hour and I downed several ethers to try to regain some of my magic.

Cait noticed the second time I stumbled and was immediately at my side.

"Ye alright lass?" he asked as I tiredly climbed back to my feet and glanced around the battlefield. The lines of attackers and fighters had pushed forward considerably, almost to the base of the hill really, the shooters not far behind them.

I was above the shooters now, picking through bodies, looking for survivors that needed to be healed. Of the fifteen repairers we had started with, we were down to about eight of us, all of them, Aeris included, were now trying their best to help survivors since the catapults were useless due to the advancement of the troops.

"Does Shinra always have to try to use force first?" I asked dully even as I turned upon hearing a groan nearby. The man was one of the attackers and looked slightly trampled, but he should survive with minimal care. The only reason he hadn't been able to move himself was because he was unconscious.

I cast a low level cure on him before turning back to gaze at the bottom of the hill. Shinra's forces had been reduced now to one large monster, a few sword wielding SOLDIERs, and MPs that were breaking rank fast.

_**Frontline**_

Barret yelled as he fired on the troops that were still daring to fight, ignoring the fleeing troops completely. They weren't his problem so long as they weren't trying to fight.

Their foes were on their last legs and they all knew it. It was interesting though to see several still attempting to fight despite the obvious disadvantage they were at.

Cid wasn't that far ahead of him and was easily batting a number of the opposing troops down and ripping large holes in uniforms with the blade of his spear. He had needed to be patched up not long before by one of the surviving repairers and sported a large bandage on his right arm.

Red and Zack had teamed up for the last monster; their teamwork was actually pretty good. Both attacked simultaneously and covered for the other if they got knocked aside for a moment. Zack also was sporting a couple bandages; one on his face, the other on his arm.

Yuffie joined them on the monster a moment later, her shuriken opening a medium sized gash on the hide of the grand horn and diverting its attention temporarily from Red who it was try to grab with its three clawed paws. Zack took the opening to cut the monster's left knee out from under it, causing it to fall hard.

Red was upon the neck of the monster then, teeth sinking deeply into the flesh as his claws ripped at the surrounding flesh.

With a howl, one of the last few SOLDIERs on the field tried to jump at Red but Barret caught him with his next hail of bullets, knocking the man back and down. He gave a few shuddering breaths then managed to force himself back to his feet, the lower half of his face twisted into an ugly grimace.

The man glanced around then at the "battle" he and his men were in and his sneer got larger as he reached into a pocket. Barret readied his gun, preparing to open fire again if the man tried to pull out any sort of weapon. He was surprised though when instead of any sort of weapon a flare was pulled out.

Pointing the flare at the sky, the SOLDIER pulled the chain at the bottom, launching a red flare into the early morning air. What few of the Shinra troops were still fighting began to quickly disengage, one of them stepping up to help who Barret now realized was the commander of the Shinra attack force.

Most of the shooters stopped their assault then as did most of the mercenaries while a number of the troops loyal to the reactor chased the retreating troops down the rest of the hill and a little ways into the fields beyond.

For several moments silence reigned over the hillside as they watched the last of the Shinra stragglers make their retreat then a rumble started amongst them that quickly built into a roaring cheer that swept over the hillside, mercenaries and rebels alike celebrating their victory.

_**Normal**_

The cheering below started right as I found Aeris who had also peeled away from the shooters to fulfill her duties as a repairer. Around her were several men and women that she was trying to use the last of her magic to heal.

"Rachas, do you have… an ether or… an elixir?" she panted as I drew closer and I noticed a couple of cuts and abrasions on her hands, arms, and the exposed areas on her legs.

"Just ran out," I informed her as I pulled out my last couple of potions. "We'll have to use field medicine now. Thankfully most of these guys look like they'll be ok after some rest."

Aeris nodded then directed my attention to a man whose arm had almost been cleaved clear off. "What about him? Can you help?"

"We need to apply a tourniquet, do you have any cord?" I asked even as I began to search the pockets of several of the other patients.

"No, but will-"

Aeris was cut off when another voice called out "Hey you two? Need a hand?" It was the medic from the Highwind that was running towards us with a field first aid kit in hand.

"Sure could!" I called back as I waved him over. "Most of these guys should be fine for now but we have several who need immediate care! Do you have something we can use to make a tourniquet?"

The medic glanced at the man I indicated, checking his pulse, skin pallor, and then gaped slightly at the blood on the ground. "I… Um… Th-there's nothing I can do. He's lost too much blood."

Aeris looked visibly upset at the man's dismissal. "How can you not even try?" she demanded as I reached out to restrain her. "He's a living being, not just something you can disregard!"

"Aeris," I tried to soothe but she shrugged me off.

"How can you just toss him aside?" she continued and the medic sighed before reaching into his kit and pulling out a length of cord.

"I can apply a tourniquet but that's all," he said as he reached down and looped the cord around the man's arm. "He needs a transfusion and we don't have the time to safely provide one."

"Why not just ask for a donor?" Aeris demanded.

"Because that could make things worse," I informed her as I pulled her to her feet and pulled her away so that the medic could do his work. "If he gave a transfusion from the wrong blood type then he could have a deadly reaction and die painfully. Then there are diseases he would have to mindful of. A regular transfusion in our conditions would be tricky, if he were to have a bad reaction like this then he doesn't have the equipment to treat him."

Aeris understood my words but she still ripped her arm away and marched up the hill, her anger at the situation palpable. I had never known her to be so fiery, I had always viewed her as very much a water element. Guess everyone could surprise you when the need arises.

A bright light then shone from the top of the hill, grabbing the attention of both Aeris and me. As we stared at the spectacular sight, even the sound of celebration below us tapered off.

"What?" Aeris asked before we both took off running to the summit of the hill, right as the sphere of light filled with wildly dancing flames.

"What is that?" Cait Sith demanded as his mog bounced along behind us.

"We're going to find out!"

As we reached the summit, the fiery form of a bird appeared within the sphere before it dissipated and the sphere dispersed. The great condor that had been overlooking her egg up until that point gave a dignified sounding call as she tilted back, her eyes meeting ours for her last few moments before she fell down the back slope of the reactor. The precious egg hatched then, revealing a cute, fluffy looking chick that was already taller than any of us.

"How sweet!" Aeris smiled at the sight of the chick before us before her eyes glanced down at the glowing red materia that hovered between us and the egg. "What is that one?"

Phoenix glowed brightly and I could hear the faint squawk of the summon bird attached to it. Wrong for me, but for Aeris…

I pushed her slightly towards the materia. "It seems to like you the most," I told her when she glanced back at me.

Aeris smiled faintly then walked towards the materia which seemed to glow brighter still as her hand reached down and closed around it.

"Aww! I missed the materia!" Yuffie's shout sounded as Aeris stood upright. "Well wht is it?"

Aeris didn't respond straight away as she stared at the glowing red orb she had in hand. "Yuffie… do you have an ether?" she finally asked in a breathless manner.

"Um… yeah." Yuffie tossed her the ether then stepped back, confusion apparent on her face.

"Alright! Aeris got a new materia!" Zack announced his presence. "So what is it?"

"I think we're about to find out," Cait replied as Aeris uncorked and consumed the ether.

Nothing happened for a moment as Aeris focused on the materia then a wide circle of flames appeared around her and they spread out rapidly. The lot of us jumped back to avoid the fire then glanced up as a regal sounding call filled the sky. Phoenix took shape above the flames and descended sharply, overflying the mountain and leaving a wake of flames. There was no dodging these flames but they didn't hurt.

Zack audibly gasped and I glanced over to see him peeling off a bandage and staring at a quickly closing wound that the flames seemed to dance around. Yuffie also stared at the rapidly closing wound while several calls came up from the hill below us as the flames and majestic summon disappeared.

"That's some summon!" Barret called up as he mounted the hill along with Cid, Red, Kunsel and Vincent.

Yuffie stared at Zack's now clean arm as he peeled off the bandage that had been on his face revealing unmarked skin. "So… it heals people?"

"Apparently," Red now appeared over the rise of the hill. "Almost all the wounded look to be healed now."

"How can you hope to win a fight with that?" Yuffie demanded. "Just a glorified Restore."

Phoenix had always been one of my favorite summons but at the moment I decided against correcting Yuffie's misconception. It seemed like an excellent materia for Aeris, nearly a perfect match.

"I've already collected the Huge materia so we can leave any time now," Kunsel said, disrupting everyone's thoughts.

Cait Sith jumped on his mog. "Good thing! Latest report from Shinra is that the last Huge materia is in Junon's underwater reactor!"

"I'm not going there!" I yelled abruptly.

"Wouldn't expect you to," Zack replied. "I think we should visit Cloud first, have you and Aeris try for him what you did for me while we go for the materia."

"Good idea," Cid called out. "Tifa may've collapsed takin' care of the guy. We should check on 'em!"

"Then what're we waitin' fer?" Barret demanded as he turned to head down the hill where the Highwind had set down. "Mideel ain't too far from here, be there later today!"

Zack laughed slightly before moving over to Aeris and offering her his arm which she accepted with a tired smile.

The cheers of the men and women of Fort Condor continued to echo through the hill as we made our descent down the side of the hill. Most of us were tired from the fight and it wasn't surprising as most of us stumbled every so often. More than once Vincent had to reach out to steady me when I stumbled, even with Cait Sith attempting to help me.

The sun had just barely risen as we stumbled into the airship, the crew greeting us enthusiastically.

"What do you think is going to happen to the baby condors?" Yuffie asked as we climbed into the ship.

Kunsel grinned at her question. "The commander said that they started defending the place specifically for the sake of those condors so the locals will probably take charge of them until they can fly."

"Good to know." Aeris sounded more exhausted than ever now. Still, over an hour of casting and then making that summon had probably drained her completely. Even with a nap she probably wouldn't be able to do anything for the rest of today. I was likely to be in the same boat.

"I think I should lie down," I finally admitted as we descended to the command deck.

"Number of us probably should. It'll take two hours to get to Mideel anyway." Well, Cid was definitely tired if he had dropped the expletives from his speech.

While Kunsel and Vincent went straight to the bridge to direct the pilot to head for Mideel the rest of us headed downstairs to catch a short nap.

The moment I sat down on my bed I felt a new wave of dread wash over me. In a few short hours WEAPON was going to attack and destroy Mideel and then we would be headed to Junon. I groaned as I lay back and wondered what I could possibly do, and it wasn't Mideel I was worried about. That was easily dealt with by claiming to have a vision. What worried me was realizing that Deepground might have a base in Junon and they could attempt to try to capture some of us again. Kunsel at the very least was a target as was I, and since Dirge of Cerberus seemed to focus around Vincent I had to assume he was going to be targeted at least. Even if I didn't go into Junon, the Highwind wouldn't be safe either since they could assume that that was where anyone who was absent in Junon was located. Sounds like an excellent time to go looking for the cave with the man that had the mythril.

I was asleep moments after my head hit my pillow.

Aeris woke me up several minutes before we were due to arrive in Mideel looking very pale. I knew why before she even opened her mouth since it had haunted my dreams also.

"WEAPON is-"

"Going to attack and Mideel will be destroyed," I finished while grabbing my pack and shoes. "Have you told anyone else?"

"Zack, he's already told Cid to overfly the village so he, Kunsel, and Vincent can jump down and begin the evacuation."

Both of us moved to the stairs to climb up to the deck, both of us a bit sluggish. We were met by Yuffie in the stairwell who was toting several parachutes.

"You're awake! Zack is yelling about jumping overboard so I thought I'd get us some parachutes."

"Thanks!" I grabbed one for myself as the three of us continued the climb and exited onto the deck to see the rest of AVALANCHE there as well with obvious intent to do the same.

"Isn't someone going to watch the ship?" Zack demanded as we all strapped on the parachutes.

Cid gave a gruff laugh. "Taught that shithead everything he'll need to know, no problem in that area."

"Ain't gonna sit this one out!" Agreements could be heard from just about everyone as we moved to the side of the deck.

"Alright everyone remember: evacuate the civilians. Don't worry about possessions. If Aeris's vision is correct then we only have a few minutes to get people to start moving."

"It's true," I called to Zack. "I had the same vision."

"Zack, where's your parachute?" Aeris suddenly observed and sure enough after a quick check, I saw neither he, Kunsel, nor Vincent had parachutes. Red didn't either, but it looked like he was going to do a tandem jump with Cait Sith.

Mideel rapidly came to be below us and Zack was the first to kick off as the Highwind slowed almost to a crawl.

"This is somethin' ya can't do from a fuckin' plane!" Cid goaded me as he jumped.

"Oh yes you can!" I shouted as I jumped after him, deploying my parachute almost immediately since we weren't very high over Mideel.

Cid glanced at me and offered another one of his shit-eating grins. "So you didn't chicken this time!"

"You didn't almost break your neck!" I shot right back. "Though it might be a bit soon for that conclusion."

"When did I almost break my neck?" Cid demanded as the ground rapidly approached.

"Just about every time someone hasn't been able to intercede!" I shouted back then noticed my descent was taking me closer to some trees and tugged a guide line to direct my fall away from them.

"Startin' to think Tifa was right about those two fighting too much!" I heard Barret yell right before my feet hit the ground. Pushing forward, I was able to prevent the chute from falling on me as I disconnected the lines and took off after Yuffie towards the village where Zack, Kunsel, and Vincent were already headed.

The alarm in Mideel had already been raised and a number of people had obviously been expecting this to come since they were already departing with bags over their shoulders. There were several people though that were refusing to budge just yet, one of them being the manic shopper woman.

"Ma'am, you need to leave!" I shouted as she harassed a shopkeeper who was attempting to shut his doors, the little white chocobo rushing around her legs.

"I need to be prepared! I need supplies to be prepared!"

"Fat lotta good they'll do you if you're dead!" the shopkeeper shot back as he forced the door closed despite her protests.

"But you have to let me in!"

I hadn't had to use a lot of the healing items I'd collected while here in Gaia, but now I found myself rummaging through my pack. There wasn't time to continuously escort this insane woman out of the town once she was clear of my mind trick. Yanking out a tranquilizer, I uncorked the bottle and splashed the contents into her face as she opened her mouth to yell at the shopkeeper again. For several moments she stared at me in shock before her eyes went half-mast and she slumped slightly as the tranquilizer took effect.

"Can you take her?" I asked the shopkeeper.

"Yeah, I can get her out," he replied as he slung one of the woman's arms over his shoulder. "Wish someone had thought to do that days ago."

I handed him a second tranquilizer. "Take this one in case the first wears off."

"Alright, you better leave too." He turned then and as he did what looked to be a miniature pumpkin slipped from one of the woman's pockets. I reach down and picked it up, intent to replace it when her little white chocobo hopped over and took a large bite from the top.

"Well, it was probably meant for you anyway," I murmured. This little guy almost reminded me of Jerk and her baby. Remembering how much they loved being scratched behind the ears, I reached over his head and gently ran my fingers over the area.

The miniature chocobo gave a happy sounding "wark!" before running after his master.

I ran into several senior citizens afterwards that needed a hand out of the main parts of town and provided it until the ground began to shake ominously as streams of brilliant green began to seep up from the ground. Seeing nothing else to do, I sprinted for the clinic where I saw Zack and Kunsel both helping a patient each as the nurse and doctor each wheeled out another patient. Tifa was several feet behind them with Cloud's wheelchair.

Glancing upward, I felt my jaw slacken as the enormous form of Ultimate WEAPON. Zack noticed also and called Tifa over. "Get these guys out of the village, now!"

"But Cloud-"

"You can come back for him Tifa. I'm under no illusion that if you were to leave with him that these guys would be left to themselves. Kunsel, Rachas, and me will try to buy time!"

Tifa stared at him doubtfully then gently pushed Cloud's wheelchair back into the clinic. "I'll be right back," she assured him before rushing forward and grabbing the two other patients in a less than gentle manner.

"Hope you guys have some good materia equipped," Kunsel stated as the WEAPON swooped down towards the village though it never actually landed.

I started this particular fight by focusing on my fire materia and aiming the spell at the belly of the monster. The spell seemed to splash off of the thick hide of the monster as Zack used a roof to launch himself up and slash at the monster. His blow was more effective than mine had been but seemed pathetic next to the entirety of the monster that was as big as the village.

Beside me, Kunsel cast a gravity spell that was completely ineffective. "Damn it," he murmured.

WEAPON may not have been affected by us, but he did seem to notice we were attacking. It chose to counter those attacks by swinging its tail at us right as Zack landed.

I got clipped slightly as I leaped away and found myself flying at a wall. My reaction was much like it had been in the cave with Red; I automatically reached out to catch the person in trouble except that it was me I was catching this time. I slowed in midair before catching myself on the wall, talk about an AC Tifa moment.

Vincent appeared as I lowered myself back to the ground, gun firing at the monster every few moments. "Zack needs a hand," he said then indicated where Zack was sprawled on the ground.

"On it!" I reached into my pack then and dug out a phoenix down which I laid on his chest. The feather sparked after a moment and turned to ash as Zack groaned then opened his eyes.

"Watch out for the tail," he groaned and I couldn't hold back a laugh as I pulled out a potion for him.

"The one time I outperform you and I'm not going to be able to properly rub it in your face since you didn't see it," I joked.

"Thanks," he replied as he accepted the potion I offered.

"Damn, where's the Highwind when we need her!" Cid yelled as he raced past us.

WEAPON swooped downward again and twisted over the village, creating an enormous amount of wind. Gathering myself once more, I focused on my materia and this time sent a bolt of lightning at the monster. It danced momentarily on the armored skin then cracked out of existence.

"Try a summons!" Zack ordered as he wobbly climbed to his feet.

"I can't, I'm still drained from earlier today!" I truthfully responded. I couldn't even fire high powered spells at WEAPON right now because of how tired I still was.

"Then lend me one!"

I grabbed Neo Bahamut and handed it to him, noticing at that moment that his eyes didn't look right, they were dilated!

"Zack, don't use that! I think you're concussed!"

Zack ignored my warning and raised the materia as it began to glow brightly and high in the sky a mass of clouds began to appear, quickly taking shape into the dragon.

"Give me that!" I yelled, latching onto Zack's arm and yanking the materia from him right as he collapsed.

"What happened?" Barret demanded as he finally arrived.

"The idiot tried to summon while having a concussion!" I responded. "Get him out of here!"

"Got it!" Barret shouted as Neo Bahamut roared through the sky and lashed out at WEAPON. It didn't even look like a close battle between them. Bahamut was a large and powerful summon but it seemed small in comparison to the gigantic monster that was WEAPON.

I sent yet another bolt of lightning even as the summon unleashed his powerful blast attack. My attack looked comical; Bahamut's barely left a mark. The dragon seemed to snarl in further challenge even as he began to dissipate.

"Hi- YAH!" a cry sounded and Yuffie flew over a roof as she hurled her shuriken at the giant form of the monster. The shuriken bounced off after barely making a scratch as Cid launched himself up and made a swipe at the monster with his spear.

"Rachas," Vincent appeared next to me again as I considered whether I should try casting Fire again. "If I were to have another transformation, would you be capable of lifting it up to that monster?"

"As long as he didn't struggle."

"Fine." Vincent's cape swirled around him then and a horrible scent and echo filled the air, almost like that of a corpse. The reason for that appeared as the cape began to dissipate, first revealing a chainsaw and then the hockey mask covered face.

"HA HA!" a deep gravelly voice crowed at the sky as the demon revved its chainsaw before its eyes focused on me.

'I should really start a list on who has the most terrifying presence,' I thought as the insane eyes leered at me. 'Currently in first place is Death Gigas followed closely by Sephiroth when possessed by Jenova then followed by Azul. No other contenders at this point in time.'

"DIE! HA HA HA!" Death Gigas took a lurching step towards me before freezing in place and turning its head toward the sky where WEAPON continued to circle. It raised its chainsaw as though in challenge and roared at the beast before lowering its glowering eyes at me.

Taking a deep breath, I focused on the being in front of me and used the power to lift him. Vincent must have either gotten a form of control or Death Gigas understood the plan since he didn't struggle or thrash about. In fact he was so calm that it was eerie.

WEAPON chose to make another sweep of the ground then with its tail, crushing a house near me that Kunsel had just leaped from. Pushing hard, I threw the transformed Vincent onto the back of the monster before it could climb up again. I could no longer hear what was happening, but I was very glad I couldn't as I watched the monster throw its head back and raise the chainsaw high.

Kunsel appeared then, the debris from crushed houses covering his skin, even digging in at some points to the point of drawing blood. Yuffie was helping him along the street.

"Why won't that thing go down?" she demanded.

"Do you honestly think that the planet is going to skimp when creating her own protectors?" My response earned a groan.

Tifa reappeared at that moment and raced toward the clinic with hardly a glance at any of us as Vincent's transformation ended and he landed on a nearby roof. Above us WEAPON circled once more before departing and the land around us settled.

"Is it over?" Kunsel asked as he stared wildly around.

Vincent also leaped off the roof as Cid ran towards us. "It seems so; the Lifestream seems to be normal now."

"That asshole escaped!" Cid yelled and looked quite peeved.

"It's dead meat next time!" Yuffie declared as she jumped away from Kunsel and threw some punches in the air.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked as I fought the urge to go running into the clinic for Cloud and Tifa.

Cid took a long drag of his cigarette before answering. "Last I saw, Aeris was outside the village with Red and the spy. Fucker insisted they stay out there and protect civilians from any monsters that may attack."

"And I had Barret run Zack out of town, so quite possibly they're all together." I ticked off my mental checklist. "We need to get Cloud now!"

"Why?" Cid demanded. "WEAPON already left, Mideel's s-" Before Cid could finish his thought, the ground began to shake alarmingly, more so than before WEAPON had attacked. Around us the ground began to crack and streams of mako burst to the surface. "You gotta be fuckin kidding me!" Cid roared.

"The Lifestream is rising!" Kunsel yelled as Yuffie grabbed his arm and began helping him towards the exit of Mideel.

Vincent grabbed my arm before I could say anything and proceeded to drag me towards the exit.

"Tifa! Get your ass outta here!" Cid yelled from behind us as he too ran.

We ran, each of us glancing over our shoulders every few seconds to check for Tifa and Cloud. I saw her rush out the door with him mere seconds before Vincent dragged me out of the village and onto a path that led to the shoreline. The ground still shook spectacularly here but the cracks in the ground weren't leaking mako like the ones in the village.

I managed to free my arm from Vincent's hold then and turned back towards the village and saw Tifa running as fast as she could, Cloud's wheelchair in front of her. The cracking ground was breaking away rapidly behind her, caving into the luminous Lifestream.

You know what; screw this dip in the Lifestream! Maybe Aeris and I can do with Cloud what we did with Zack, except we'd take Tifa along with us somehow. Focusing on the power, I reached out and caught Tifa and Cloud right as the last chunk of land began to fall, levitating them and drawing them towards safety.

The boiling Lifestream was like lava beneath them and several times an explosion happened, barely missing them as Tifa threw out her arm to catch someone's extended hand. I was transfixed though on trying to bring them closer, especially as the surrounding power became turbulent, violent. I was losing control!

A final explosion from the pit sent rocks flying as my control finally broke, one of those rocks smacking me hard upside the head. All I could see as my vision went black was Tifa and Cloud tumbling into the Lifestream.

zzzzzzzzzz

The current of the Lifestream was violent still when I awoke there but little by little it began to calm. The verdant stream wove around me and everything that surrounded me.

"Minerva!" I called, intent to check on Cloud and Tifa. They had been alright when this happened in the game but so many things were different now. Aeris was alive as was Zack and if Advent Children was anything to go by, both of them were sources of advice and strength for Cloud. But that didn't entirely mean that Tifa and Cloud were doomed, did it?

"Minerva!" My voice had to betray some of my desperation.

What felt to be arms wrapped around me in an embrace a moment later.

"_No need to be upset,"_ the Goddess's voice reassured. _"They're just fine."_

"So, you're protecting them?"

"_He is my chosen champion against the Calamity. This needed to happen. If you or Aeris had intervened then he may have become dependent or maybe even unbelieving of the truth in his life. Cloud needs to find out for himself."_

"Knowing that he has people he can depend on to help him wouldn't make him weak."

A slight humming filled the area. _"You care for them; not being able to help must be very hard."_

I groaned in response before pulling away from the embrace and heading in the direction that I knew should take me back to consciousness. "The least I can do is wait for them along with everyone else."

Minerva had one last thing to say before I left. _"It won't take as long as you may think. Unlike with your technique of entering the mind of another, this doesn't have the normal constraints of time."_

Pushing through the mists of consciousness, my head had a bit of an ache to it and I couldn't open my left eye immediately. Through the crack of my right eye I was able to see Cait Sith hovering over me and Zack was nearby.

"You're awake lass!" Cait Sith looked ready to dance while I groaned and tried to cover my poor ears from the shrill noise.

Zack laughed gruffly and the sound grated on my ears though not as badly as Cait's voice had. "Looks like I'm not only one with a… a… what was it again?"

"A concussion," Kunsel supplied as he entered my field of vision, a damp cloth in hand. "Hold still for a moment, Aeris is attempting to pull Cloud and Tifa from the Lifestream." His hand moved over my face, dabbing at something sticky and moving in slight circles before ending over a particularly tender area. "The cut doesn't look too bad, just about anyone could heal it with a Restore but you'll need to take a day off for the concussion."

"Hit the…" I felt slightly confused as I searched for the word I needed. I knew what I wanted to say but just couldn't say it.

"Neither you nor Zack should cast any spells for a while. Quite a day, huh?"

"Jackpot." I finally found the word I wanted. Zack laughed as he was helped up by someone, probably Barret. Kunsel gave me a hand up and I leaned a bit heavily on him as they guided us to the edge of the pit where everyone else was watching as Aeris slowly pulled Tifa and Cloud out of the luminous lake that now stood where Mideel had once been.

It was slow going since Aeris really had to concentrate to make the ability work since the Lifestream was still in a disrupted state and I couldn't help, but she was able to bring them to the shore.

My thoughts weren't processing too well, but I could see that our friends weren't moving for several long moments as the mako began to roll off their bodies though their clothes were still soaked with it.

"We need to get them cleaned off," someone said, I think it was Vincent. "Anyone have some water?"

"Canteens," I managed to mutter as Kunsel shifted for his pack.

"That's right!" Kunsel yanked out his and my canteens and tossed them up to Cid who opened them and dumped the contents over the two prone figures as everyone else volunteered their own canteens.

_**Cloud's Subconscious**_

Tifa felt her trepidation rise as the scene of Nibelheim started after she had promised to help Cloud figure out what had happened. Sephiroth appeared and Cloud's perception was off she found. He thought himself to be the one standing where Zack had stood.

"No Cloud," she told him, interrupting the memory and dismissing the images. "Zack might not have lied to you, but from my point of view, you didn't come to Nibelheim five years ago. I waited…" An image of her sitting by the entrance of the town appeared. "But Cloud… never came."

The image showed her turning to stare out of the entrance, almost exactly at where they stood. "The two who came were Sephiroth and Zack."

The Cloud who stood near her looked a bit downtrodden at having the truth confirmed with memories. "So, the member of SOLDIER who came with Sephiroth… was Zack?"

Tifa nodded as the scene around them faded. This time the scene was of that night at the well.

"What if that memory of the well? What if that is just a lie?" Cloud asked.

"Just let it come back, little by little. Remember the little things, like the sky that night, the heavens were filled with stars… From the beginning, ok?"

Cloud still stood before her on the ledge around the well though he refused to face her as the images of their younger selves appeared.

"That's right, I was wearing those clothes," Tifa encouraged. "That's you too. You were so small then…" she remembered his size had always been a sore point and had hoped her comment would elicit a reaction and was disappointed when there was none. "… and cute."

Sitting down next to her younger self, she glanced around at the village of their childhood before looking at Cloud, her image doing the same. "Sephiroth said that Cloud made up his memories by listening to my stories… But did you imagine this sky?" She shook her head as she faced forward again and stared upward. "No, you remembered it. That night the stars were gorgeous. It was just Cloud and I as we talked at the well… That's why I knew that you were the real Cloud. I believe you are Cloud from Nibelheim, but you don't believe yourself," Tifa finished as she looked in Cloud's direction again, her younger image not moving. Cloud's younger image on the other hand had disappeared, having climbed on top of the tower.

Cloud still didn't react, didn't turn and look at her, didn't speak.

"There memories aren't enough," Tifa admitted with a sigh as the scene faded. "Cloud, what about your other memories? No, not memories," she corrected. "A memory is something that has to be consciously recalled. That's why sometimes it can be mistaken and a different thing… But it's different from a memory locked deep within your heart."

Tifa thought back on their experience with Cloud's memories thus far and saw a disturbing pattern. "Whenever He appears the memory seems to be fake. Cloud, try to remember a memory that has to do with me!"

Cloud for once was facing almost in her direction and she saw a look of confusion on his face, as though wondering why such a thing should matter.

"I say something and you don't remember it, but then you say something and I do. That's how we'll know that's our memory. Talk to me about anything, some important memory to you," she pleaded, determined to make Cloud start trying to help himself. "Why did you want to join SOLDIER? I always seemed like a sudden decision to me."

The air around them seemed to echo Cloud's answer. "I was devastated. I wanted to be noticed. I thought if I got stronger I could get someone to notice."

Tifa latched on to the straw that Cloud offered. "Someone to notice you? Who?"

The place echoed with Cloud's answer again. "You," while in the background she was sure she heard Cloud's voice whisper, "Who? …You know who! You, that's who…"

Tifa felt her heart leap as she stared at the man before her. "…Me? Why?"

_**Normal**_

The two had slowly started to shift as the water poured over them and cleaned away a lot of the mako.

Aeris had peeled away from the two on the ground and had used a Cure spell to heal my cut which also partially treated my concussion. Zack had also had a Cure spell cast on him though his concussion seemed to be worse than mine.

It was around that moment that I realized how lucky it was that Zack had gotten a concussion when he did. Without it he probably would have tried to save Tifa and Cloud also and gotten sucked into the Lifestream also which probably wouldn't have done him much good.

"We need more water!" Red called and Kunsel directed my hands to Cait's mog and helped me sit on the ground.

"Watch her, don't let her doze and if she seems to get more confused then get the doctor immediately," he instructed to toy cat.

"Gotcha!" Cait said as Kunsel turned and took off down the trail with several canteens in hand.

_**Cloud's Subconscious**_

"Your memories weren't all made up!" Tifa exclaimed, happy that Cloud was recalling memories that though painful for both of them proved he remembered Nibelheim and people he shouldn't have otherwise met. "The truth is there, you've almost found the real you!"

The scene around them faded once into the Nibelheim when Sephiroth and Zack visited. Cloud didn't stop in the village though, choosing to push through it.

"Cloud, where are you going?" Tifa had been certain they were so close, so why was Cloud skipping the village?

"The reactor!" Cloud called back to her. "The mako reactor of five years ago! We have to go through here to get there."

Tifa only nodded and followed Cloud's lead as the scene once again faded and there she was at the top of the stairs, facing off against the insane Sephiroth. She barely stopped her gasp as phantom pain ran through her as she saw the blow Sephiroth had landed upon her before she fell down the stairs. Then Zack was there.

"Zack…" Cloud murmured.

"You're remembering!" Tifa exclaimed, pleased that Cloud had the actual memory this time and hadn't placed himself in Zack's place as he had done previously. They watched as Zack ran past Tifa and up the stairs to confront Sephiroth. "It was Zack who came to Nibelheim with Sephiroth. Where were you Cloud?"

Beside her, Cloud's eyes widened a bit as several moments later Zack came flying out of the main reactor area.

Tifa noticed this then realized that there was no way Cloud should know all of this unless… "Cloud… Did you… see it all?"

"I saw… everything…" Cloud admitted as another figure ran into the memory. It was shadowed and wearing a helmet as it ran up to Zack and took his sword before heading into the main reactor after Sephiroth. The scene around them flickered and there was the silver general standing before a tank with a hideous corpse suspended in it. The figure appeared again, this time clearly a regular trooper, an MP. He ran straight up to the general and ran him through with the enormous sword.

Some words were said but Tifa was too excited by what she saw. "That's what happened," she murmured as the MP stepped back and removed his helmet and revealed the familiar spiky haircut of her childhood friend. "You were there. You were watching me."

The scene changed again and Tifa saw the vehicle that had brought Zack, Cloud, and Sephiroth to Nibelheim. Zack was being friendly and trying to help the motion sick Cloud while Sephiroth sat a ways away from them

"I never made it as a member of SOLDIER," Cloud admitted. "I left Nibelheim telling everyone I was going to join but… I was so embarrassed."

The scene flashed through several more memories, of arriving in Nibelheim, this time with Cloud in his correct place and Zack in his before switching to the reactor as Cloud moved Tifa away from the stairs before Sephiroth appeared from the inner reactor area carrying a head and hobbled down the stairs, his injury from Cloud obviously affecting him.

"Cloud… kill Sephiroth," Zack's voice called out weakly.

They followed Cloud's image out to the walkway and Tifa felt her insides run cold as an unarmed Cloud charged Sephiroth and was skewered by Masamune.

"Don't… push… your luck…" It sounded like Sephiroth was having difficulty speaking, but looking at him now, years after it had happened, Tifa saw something else, a flicker in his eyes, like a plea that he was trying to force out. Rachas's words in the Northern Crater then came back to her, on how Jenova was using Sephiroth. Was this the last moment that he had before being blocked by her completely?

Cloud's image surprised her again as he reached down and pulled himself along the blade until he could touch the ground again, hands firmly grasping that sword.

"…It can't be!" The pleading look in the general's eyes was still there even as his voice rang out angrily.

Cloud's response was to lift Sephiroth through the sword and throwing him off of the walkway to fall to the mako bath far below, sending the head of Jenova along with him.

"Cloud…" she murmured as the memory faded and she found herself facing a young version of Cloud who turned to her with a faint trace of a smile.

"Then… this is good bye Tifa," the young Cloud said. "Until we meet again." Around them were multiple images of Cloud now and in each one she saw a slight difference. Each was still him, but none were completely him as they converged and merged with the child image. The form of Cloud flickered for a moment before becoming solid before her.

"Tifa…"

"It's really you, isn't it?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah…" Cloud looked at her then, his faint smile back in place. "We meet again."

_**Normal**_

The last of the mako had just been washed away, the glowing green fluid finally pulling away from even their clothes.

They were both still for a moment before Barret stepped up next to Tifa. "Yo Tifa, you awright?"

"U…uuun?" Tifa stirred and everyone seemed to slump slightly in relief as she began to push herself up into a sitting position. "Barret… you came back. I… Where's Cloud?"

"Don't worry about him," Cid told her. "That numbskull ain't gonna crash from this."

"When I was… in the Lifestream... I saw the real Cloud."

Several of the group looked up at that.

"Does that mean the real Cloud is de-" Yuffie's question was cut off by Kunsel's hand.

"No, he found himself."

"Alright!" Zack cheered, obviously feeling better since Aeris cast the Cure on him. "Our pal is going to be himself again!"


	43. Chapter 43

Saria: Well, I still like how this story is shaping up. I've still got a few ideas and for those wondering, yes, I do intend to continue into AC and DoC.

Tori: Cookies…

Zas: Is she still hung up over all the cookies being eaten?

SA: Yeah… want more…

Tori: (stares morosely in the direction of the kitchen)

zzzzzzzzzz

We didn't head straight to Junon and it wasn't because no one wanted to go. It was because the doctor and nurse caught sight of Zack, Cloud, Tifa, and me as we attempted to hobble towards the Highwind along with everyone else. The doctor put a stop to that immediately and forced the four of us to lie down in the area designated as the field clinic. When I finally got a chance to look around I had to laugh; they were using the airport as the gathering place for all the main services of the village.

"Somethin' funny lass?" Cait Sith asked when he heard my laugh.

"Yeah," I replied as I readjusted the ice pack that had been placed on my head. "This is the airport. I've flown in here before to deliver medical supplies."

"Welcome back," the nurse told me as she strode over and checked the ice pack. "The doctor wants you and your three friends to stay the night at least, especially the two who had that recent dip in the Lifestream."

"They're going to love that!" Zack stated from next to me. "Where are they anyway?"

"The doctor is examining them in a tent right now. Once he's done then you both will be moved into the tent. Should be just in time too."

"Why?" Zack asked right as thunder rolled overhead. "Oh."

"Rain!" I exclaimed jubilantly as I stared at the sky.

"They're predicting a bad storm tonight; it really was too bad about the village being destroyed today."

"I'M PREPARED!" the crazy shopper suddenly declared as she ran past the clinic while pushing a large cart that carried a mountain of supplies. Her little white chocobo followed at a sedate pace then veered towards us and stopped before me.

"Want another scratch?" I asked and reached behind his ears before noticing the materia it held in its beak.

The little chocobo "wark"-ed happily as I gently scratched the area then dropped the materia onto the blanket at my side before scampering off after its owner.

"That chocobo!" the nurse exclaimed with a laugh. "He seems to give out materia at random!"

Grabbing the materia and the whisper of 'Contain' went through my head.

"So how long is he going to insist on us staying?" Zack asked as I stashed the materia into my pack as Misha moved over to check his ice pack. Apparently the concussion was still causing him a bit of confusion.

"You should be good to go by morning," she replied patiently before looking at me again. "You on the other hand will probably need a few days of down time. Your concussion wasn't as bad as his but you're not enhanced."

"Believe me, when I want to I can heal at a pretty decent rate," I assured her. Looks like tonight I would probably be putting myself into a healing trance and possibly instructing Aeris on how to put others into them.

"Guys, you'll never believe what that crazy woman with the chocobo is charging!" Yuffie ran up to us, her pack slung on one shoulder. "She's a classic rip-off artist!"

I sighed as I sat up on my elbows. "That's normal behavior Yuffie, drive up the price for hard to come-by products to maximize profit."

Yuffie rolled her eyes and reached for my pack. "Hey, do you have anythin-"

"Hands off," I informed her flatly.

Zack groaned and pulled his own pack under his chin before she could ask for whatever it was she wanted to ask.

"Hey, I just wanted to know if you had things to sell!"

"I can take care of it in the morning," I assured as Red approached.

"Would you mind telling me how long our friends will need to stay?" he politely asked the nurse.

"Until tomorrow morning." I really hope she doesn't get sick of having to repeat this over and over.

Red nodded before looking between the two of us. "We assumed this would happen. The rest of us will be spending the night on the Highwind with a few possible exceptions. We'll be back for you in the morning."

"Making plans for Junon?" I asked in a nonchalant manner to which Red nodded.

"Seeing as such, we'll probably need you there Cait Sith."

Cait groaned before jumping on his mog and heading towards the ship along with Red and Yuffie. It left Zack and me with little else to do but think. Things sure were moving fast, that was for certain. I wasn't as far along in Aeris's training as I thought I would be and our time was quickly running out. Maybe I should leave her a book of some sort with instructions…

Grabbing my pack, I checked for my old notebook and grinned when I found it. It was just a basic college-ruled notebook that I carried around for the sake of writing down quotes, saying, and poems that I liked. The first five pages were covered with all sorts of quotes such as General Patton's various quotes like "Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom" or "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking". There was also Loveless written on the last page, all acts including the one written by Genesis.

I skipped over all of these and went straight to a clean page then fished a pen out of my pack. At the top of the page I wrote "Jedi Comprendium" after a moment of consideration. It made sense since this was going to be a compilation of everything I could think of from the Jedi order plus the rules set forward by Gaia: rules of conduct, training, the three branches of the Jedi, and techniques would all be included. I could rip out the first few pages before giving this to Aeris later.

"_The Jedi order is not a religion or fixation; it is an organization of gifted people of the Planet. It is to the Planet that our first loyalties lie, then to the people. We do not recognize any government or organization as our masters, we only work with those that do well for the Planet and her people and never try to force us to choose between one and the other."_

The first paragraph came out easily enough; I just hoped the rest of it would be so easily worded. The Mind Trick would probably need to be explained in vague terms and I was grateful that I had already taught it to Aeris.

"_Any Jedi who is abusive of their abilities, either by using them for their exclusive gain or with the intent of doing harm to the Planet-"_ I stopped writing as the doctor emerged from the tent.

Both Zack and I stared at the man as he called the nurse over and exchanged a few words with her before he turned to us with a kindly smile. "Your friends are just fine, a miraculous recovery on the male's behalf. Neither are displaying any negative side-effects from their encounter with the Lifestream. They'll be released tomorrow."

"Whoot!" Zack called from where he lay.

"As for you two, time to get you both inside. I know you adore being able to watch the sky-" the doctor chuckled as Zack made a face at the clouds. "But rest, especially in a good environment, is necessary for both of you. And being rained on doesn't count as a good environment."

I cracked a half smile at the doctor's lame joke then stood up. My legs were still a bit wobbly as I walked into the tent and lay down on one of the blankets spread out inside. Misha brought my pack to me and I tucked it behind my back so I could sit up.

Cloud and Tifa were both sporting some extra clothes that some villagers must have donated and waved from their own places in the tent. The tent itself wasn't a huge thing, pretty much just big enough for eight people to lie down in with space for the doctor to walk between them.

Once we were settled again and the ice pack resituated on my head, I continued to write about the order. I first finished the paragraph warning about abuse of the Jedi abilities and how they could be revoked if the Planet didn't approve of your activities. I followed that by writing about the three branches and described the typical duties of the Consulars, Guardians, and Sentinels. In this I also included sub-branches for each branch such as Healers, Peace Keepers, and Investigators.

"That's enough of that!" Misha declared from above me and snatched the pen from my hand. "You still have a serious head injury; this isn't something you should be forcing yourself to do. Now lie down, we're about to turn out the lights."

Glancing around the tent I was surprised to find that Aeris hadn't returned from the airship. Neither had Caith Sith for that matter. Whatever was happening with Reeve he hadn't been able to check in for several days now and I couldn't call him since his PHS had been confiscated. It made me feel disappointed.

Misha gave me my pen back after I had shoved my notebook back into my pack and I stowed that quickly as well before lying down completely.

"They must really be going through some in depth planning if Aeris isn't back yet."

I glanced at Zack then nodded in agreement.

"What happened while I was out of commission?" Cloud asked.

Tifa answered first. "Shinra has been trying to collect something called Huge materia. While you were down everyone else was gathering it."

"Huge materia… Didn't Scarlet mention that when we saw her in Gongaga?"

"Yeah," I replied. "We've got two of four it would seem. Shinra already collected one from Nibelheim before the reactor was destroyed but we were able to collect the ones in Corel and Fort Condor."

"That leaves one more, where is it?"

"Junon," Zack stated stonily.

Cloud stared at the usually chipper man, obviously confused by his change in attitude. "What's wrong?"

Zack glared at the ceiling of the tent for a moment before glancing at me. "Rachas and Kunsel were attacked by strange opponents while there who had orders to capture them."

"Strange opponents?"

"Kunsel's opponent was a woman with obvious enhancements that he barely got away from. Rachas's followed her out to the end of the cannon and jumped after her."

"He was scary," Tifa deadpanned.

"You saw him?"

"She was on the cannon with me except she got chased there by Scarlet who was attempting to execute her," I explained.

Cloud was silent for a moment as he scowled at the roof of the tent as well. "What about the materia they got from Nibelheim?"

"They plan to launch that at Meteor," I supplied.

"Launch?"

"Yes, as in send, sling, throw, crash, you can chose your favored verb."

"I want to know how they plan to do that," Zack stated with a groan. "Not like they can throw it into an airship and send that at Meteor can they?"

"No Zack, but they already have the means." That got the other three to stare at me.

"How?" Tifa asked as her eyebrows furrowed.

"The rocket."

"Cid's rocket?" Cloud demanded as he sat up a little. "Would that thing even fly?"

"Do you think either Cid or Shera would let it reach a condition where it couldn't? It's Cid's dream and they are both absolutely devoted to Cid getting his dream."

"Maybe we should have just let you tear that thing apart when we were in Rocket Town." Zack sounded about as cheerful as a funeral during a Siberian winter.

A crack of thunder sounded outside the tent then and I found myself smiling as the rain began to fall, the voices of the Planet murmuring of where the rain had come from, of oceans and lakes and rivers.

The lights of the lanterns in the tent went out several minutes later and for a while you could hear everyone in the tent shifting about, trying to get comfortable.

Focusing on a meditation, I initiated a healing trance for the night but did my best to remain attentive to our surroundings. It seemed a long shot that Shinra would show up by morning but we needed to keep an ear to the ground more than ever now. Without a doubt the most dangerous times were quickly coming.

_**Cid's POV**_

Cid groaned loudly when he checked the current hour and found it was after two in the morning and they were just wrapping up the plan for attack in Junon. Goddess at the moment he envied those lucky injured fuckers who got to stay in the remainders of the village.

Cait Sith proved to be invaluable in this plan. That bastard Reeve had been able to transmit blue prints for the underwater reactor that included the location of the entrance, guard shifts, and a detailed floor plan.

The team that would be entering would be Barret, Red, Vincent, and himself. If Cloud, Tifa, or Zack wanted to come along then they could. Yuffie had looked green at even the possibility of being under water, Cait Sith couldn't risk being seen because Reeve's safety depended on it, and after what happened previously neither Kunsel, Rachas, nor Aeris should risk entering Junon.

Currently the plan was that the team that would attack the reactor would disembark from the Highwind a ways out from Junon and Rachas would take command of the Highwind in his absence. That alone had Cid seeing red. If at any point it looked like Shinra troops were heading towards them, the Highwind was to take-off and head to a safe location until they could make contact again.

It was a simple plan that should work if everything went well and it didn't sit well with him at all!

_**Midgar**_

Reeve had finally found some time earlier that day to visit his mother in her home. He was pleased to see that the boy she had taken in, Denzel, was behaving. What made things even better was that apparently the boy's mother had survived and had just found them on accident the other day when they had passed one of the new shelters on the way home from shopping. She had nowhere else to go and no way to support herself or Denzel, so she had been invited to stay by his mother. The three were getting along quite well though there was a certain window he had to fix.

Ruvie had of course noticed his missing handkerchief.

"Goodness, you can't seem to keep anything straight that's not one of your machines," she fussed as she brought out some material with the same pattern on it. "I haven't much left so be mindful of this one."

"I didn't lose it mom," Reeve replied as he glanced over at where Denzel and Chloe were reading through a book on monsters, Denzel in a shirt that had been made from the same material as his mother was using now.

"So I suppose you know exactly where it is and just want a second one?"

"I know who has it and where she should be at the moment."

Ruvie glanced up at her son, her eyes searching his for a moment before softening, a smile pulling across her features before hardening momentarily. "It's not that harlot that has been harassing you on television, is it?"

A cold shiver ran up the length of Reeve's spine and his expression of barely noticeable disgust was answer enough for her. She chuckled mildly and she finished cutting the cloth for the new handkerchief. "When will I get to meet this woman?"

"Soon I hope," he replied. "She's kind and intelligent; I think you'll like her."

"What's her name?"

"I can't say yet."

Ruvie jerked her head back up at her son, shock in her features. "I know you my son, and when you say that you actually mean that you won't say. That something is wrong right now and you cannot say her name without there being some serious repercussions if it got out."

His mother handed him the handkerchief then and Reeve easily pocketed it. He'd have to insure that when he went in to the office next that just a bit of it could be seen so everyone would think it was his original. "Do you need anything?"

"Some material, Chloe and Denzel have no spare clothes at the moment and I'm sure he would love having a slightly less feminine shirt."

Reeve smiled as he watched his mother pull out a small catalogue on materials and point out some that she thought would be nice.

The four of them had had dinner a while later and Reeve found himself missing the presence of the other members of AVALANCHE and how lively the table had always been with them around. His mother was the same as always but Denzel was a little quiet and Chloe asked several questions but it was painfully obvious she didn't understand the point or aspects of his job nor of robotics.

The three were wonderful to be around and then it was time for him to go. Though he may be an executive of Shinra at the moment he was in a bit of trouble and being out past the city-wide curfew wasn't a good idea at the moment.

_**Normal**_

Soon after the sun rose the next morning Zack and Cloud practically raced one another out of the tent in their haste to get away from the doctor who was examining a needle when they woke. I was a bit more sedate in my own quest to leave but still jumped out of the tent a bit faster than I normally did.

Before we headed out to the Highwind I sold my extra equipment and items that I'd picked up (read as: I robbed the Shinra soldiers that I had healed just to the point of insuring their survival at Fort Condor.) The amount I had donated to the defense of the fort was more than made up for with the resultant income.

Cloud bought the last sword available from one of the town vendors and then the four of us began the trek out of town, meeting up with Aeris, Barret, and Kunsel as they entered the village.

We quickly made our way through the jungle to where the Highwind was parked and boarded, unfortunately having to turn away a number of people who were trying to buy passage on the ship. While enroute, Kunsel filled us in on the current plan of action and Zack, Cloud, and Tifa had all volunteered for the mission.

"Alright shitheads, listen up! We'll be arriving at this point in roughly four hours," Cid pointed at a map as we all marched into the bridge. "Those heading to Junon, because we don't want anyone knowing we're close by, we'll have the better part of a four hour hike to town. And since most of will need a few minutes of rest afterwards and the guards don't change until two in the fuckin' mornin', we'll need to find a place to crash for several hours. To those stayin' out, expect our call to come pick us up sometime between 3-5am, all depending on if some ass can't pull their weight."

'Jackpot,' I thought as I noted the location. If I used my speed ability then I could easily reach the cave for the mythril and be back on the ship long before they would launch the attack on the reactor. If I took Aeris with me then we could be using this as a time for practice, something that could be crucial if she ever did run into Deepground.

"… and Rachas will be in charge." I tuned back in to the conversation to just catch the tail end of the briefing.

"What? Why does she get to be in charge? Won't Kunsel be here?" Yuffie demanded.

Kunsel jumped in first. "We discussed this last night; Rachas is a pilot and can take command of the Highwind if we need to leave."

"I was actually thinking of using the time to train Aeris in some skills that are useful in escape and evasion. Perhaps Kunsel should be in charge while we're on the ground," I suggested.

"I don't think you guys should leave the airship," Zack responded.

Aeris looked thoughtful. "Maybe it's a good idea."

"How so?"

"They would expect us to be on the ship," I pointed out.

"She'll be in charge, let 'er do what she wants," Cid dismissed the issue.

Aeris was quick to turn to me as we began to disperse. "What are you going to teach me this time?" Her excitement was clearly back about learning a new skill.

"It's a skill that will allow you to move faster though you won't be really aware of it. To you everything will be moving slower; it'll allow you more time to make decisions, dodge blows, and runaway if you need to."

Zack, who had also been listening, whistled faintly. "That sounds like it would be useful, especially if someone is after you."

"The down side of this ability is that it is very draining when you first learn to use it. I'm going to be testing myself also when we set down, see how far I can go."

"So we can start right now?"

"Sure."

After that I demonstrated regular running and then what happened when I used the power in conjunction with running. Both Aeris and Zack looked very surprised by the difference, to the point where Zack actually was running along with me as I gave the second demonstration and ran back along the hall. He beat me but just barely.

"Man, imagine what you could do if you ever got SOLDIER enhancements!" Zack sounded quite excited even as I crossed my arms into an "X".

"Not happening! I like my eyes to not glow!"

Zack laughed which drew the attention of Cloud and Cait Sith as they passed and they hung around for an hour as I continued Aeris's instruction. It was surprising but Aeris seemed to have no ability in this whatsoever. We tried multiple times and though she reported that things did seem to slow down for her on a mental level it never quite reached the point where she could apply the skill physically.

"So she can see the blow coming but you can't dodge?" Zack asked. He sounded very disappointed.

"She might be able to since she can see the blow, but she can't make herself faster," I corrected as Aeris tried yet again to make herself reach the intended physical level.

Zack's face fell slightly. "I thought you guys were capable of the same things."

"Only in a sense. Aeris seems to have better foresight than me, it's only natural I'm better at something else."

Zack groaned but sat back a bit as he watched us try to work through what we could with Aeris's limited talent in this area. She already intended to practice when we set down and I encouraged that. Maybe it just wasn't clicking yet and some practice would help her get this.

It was about an hour before noon when the ship finally set down and the strike party all disembarked. Aeris and I waited until about fifteen minutes after their departure before we both climbed out of the airship ourselves.

Since I was supposed to be in charge, I told the crew that until I got back Kunsel was in charge. If I wasn't back and they needed to take off, I indicated on the map the direction I was heading in.

"So, this is going to be a practice for you?" Kunsel asked as I shouldered my relatively empty pack that for the first time in a while contained only food and water, my weapons strapped in place in their holsters and sheaths.

"Yeah, I need to know how far and fast I can go, especially if there are SOLDIERs after me now. Thus far I've only ever done this in short bursts for short periods of time, so this is necessary."

"I'll be trying to achieve it too," Aeris stated as she followed me to the deck, minus a pack, and climbed down to the ground.

"I'll be keeping an eye out. You better do the same," Kunsel told me pointedly.

"Will do, and if Reeve logs on to Cait Sith, see if you can get him to call my phone." I blushed slightly when those words passed my lips but Kunsel nodded in understanding.

"Guess it's a bit hard knowing he's constantly in danger and you're not getting many updates. I'll tell him if he shows."

Pulling out my compass to confirm the direction, I called on the power and took off, my focus being on maintaining this for as long as I could. The wind cracked in my ears as I ran as far as I could in that single first burst. The airship was out of sight by the time I had to stop for the first time.

For the next two hours I ran using the power for short, intense bursts and walked for a few minutes to cool down after each burst. Each time I ran the wind whistled in my ears and the voices of the planet were a blur to my ears. Even crossing the river wasn't a problem in this state, just a simple jump.

What few monsters I encountered were easily avoided like this, they couldn't keep up with the speeds I was achieving. Right as I reached valley that contained the cave, I had to slow down for some food and water. I already knew the hard part was going to be getting back to the Highwind so I needed to conserve my strength. It wasn't like I had a map right now, much less one that showed my location and the Highwind with points of light.

There was one problem with finding the guy and that was finding the right cave. The entire side of the mountain was littered with caves. I started the search by looking for caves where the vegetation was either crushed or cleared away from, mindful the entire time of monsters. I was probably strong enough now to deal with the monsters one-on-one, but that didn't mean I should just look for fights.

Finally, almost three hours after leaving the Highwind and one hour after finding the valley, I found the correct cave. Inside the former miner snoozed on his cot, his snores sounding very much like whistling.

"Hey," I said as I walked over to the cot and gently shook the man. He blinked for a moment before focusing on me, more importantly on my weapons.

"Hey, sorry to ask you this since we've never met before, but could you get rid of about ten of the monsters outside? They've been disturbing me a lot recently."

"Uhh… okay." I agreed since it seemed like the easiest way to get on his good side and get the mythril I was after. "Would you tell me how I can get some mythril?"

"Take care of those monsters and I'll give you a good chunk of it. Ain't got no use fer it anymore."

"Alright then," I replied and left the cave quietly.

Killing the required number of monsters was easy enough; for the most part I kept my distance and cast spells that killed them fast. Several times the monsters got wind of me and I had to draw my knives to defend myself, but when I did it was surprisingly easy. Guess I really had been getting stronger even if I hadn't realized it.

The old miner was still passed out on his cot when I returned to the cave but before I could utter a word to him, a large, heavy chunk of metal was shoved into my hands.

"Thanks…" he murmured before turning on his side and ignoring my presence completely.

I wrestled the chunk into my pack before leaving the cave and adjusted the pack on my back and found it didn't seem as heavy as I thought it would. Then again, I had been dragging around a pack filled with almost everything I had including a sleeping bag and tent for two months now. Still, it would make getting back to the Highwind a bit slower.

_**Junon**_

They had just arrived in the lower town of Junon which looked just as rundown as ever. Rather than stopping or trying to talk to any of the residents though, they had been content to pass right through. That didn't stop some of aforementioned residents from noticing them, in particular was one little girl.

"Guys!" Priscilla called as she raced towards the group, having recognized Red, Cloud, Zack, Barret, and Tifa. "You're back!"

"Hello Priscilla," Tifa greeted warmly as the group stopped. "How are you doing? How's Mr. Dolphin?"

"I'm okay but Mr. Dolphin hasn't come back yet since that huge monster attacked. The adults keep saying there are several of those things attacking all over the planet!"

Tifa nodded as she glanced at the others. "We're trying to stop them, but it's taking a large amount of effort. Now, can you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone we were here. You have to keep it a secret that you saw us."

"Like Mr. Dolphin was my secret? Okay!" Priscilla answered with a bright grin before skipping off to pretend she hadn't seen them.

"So, how are we going to get up to the city above?" Red asked as he glanced at the elevator. "I'm assuming we intend to disguise ourselves once up there as well."

Zack stared at the guard for a long moment. Doubtless the guy would have already received orders to not allow anyone matching their descriptions up. Too bad they hadn't brought Rachas with them since she said she could plant ideas and make people forget.

"I'll handle this," Cloud announced and stepped out from their group, heading straight to the elevator.

The guard sneered slightly at Cloud's approach but otherwise paid him no mind. His job currently was beyond shitty. Ever since that humungous WEAPON monster attacked his shift hours had been extended beyond reason. Currently he had gone almost eighteen hours nonstop on this shift, no relief coming to let him off duty. Just standing here by a blasted elevator on an endless term of duty as his comrades either died or deserted Shinra. Come to think of it though, this guy that was approaching looked very familiar, hadn't he seen this kid before several years ago? Yeah… Put him in a cadet uniform and shave off a few inches and he was the spitting image of someone he knew but couldn't remember the name of for the life of him! And now here he was in a uniform that looked almost like the one for a SOLDIER First with glowing eyes… He had to be his relief!

"Glad you made it!" The man's sudden change in attitude and goofy grin caught Cloud by surprise, almost as much as the clap on the back did. Luckily his enhancements prevented him from stumbling. "You should already know what to do and here's the card to open the door if orders come down to let someone up!" The guard shoved the card into Cloud's stiff hands after swiping it to open the elevator shaft then skipped through the door.

Cloud was still blinking in confusion when he heard the cables for the elevator groan, signaling that the guard had gone up to the city above and left him with the keycard.

"Way to go Cloud!" Zack exclaimed as he ran up next to the still confused blond. "How'd you get him to leave you the card so easily? What did you say?"

"I… don't… know…"

"It could be a trap," Red pointed out as he trotted up.

"Maybe, but without the help of that dolphin this is the only way to get up to the city."

"So, we're going to try it?" Tifa asked as she approached the door also, the rest of their party behind her.

"Yeah, everyone remember the plan: head for the locker room immediately, change, then we head for an inn."

Barret hammered the button to call the elevator and they waited the several seconds it to descend to their level. As they piled into the elevator, everyone had their weapons out and took up positions where they would be able to mount a strong defense should this prove to be a trap.

The ride up the elevator shaft seemed to take forever despite it actually taking less than a minute and as the door opened, all of them were focused intently on the door. It was almost shocking to see no guards in the hallway or anyone ready to attack.

Zack sidled to the doorway and glanced left and right before signaling to the others that the way seemed clear and the lot of them rushed down the hall to the locker room that he and Cloud had been dragged to not long ago.

The abundance of spare uniforms was apparent to all of them; they were stacked in almost every corner of the room. WEAPON had really taken its toll on the number of troops available to Shinra.

"Geez, they must be droppin' like flies," Barret murmured as he shuffled through the uniforms before surprising them all by reaching back into his pack and pulling out the sailor suit he had taken during the first visit to Junon.

"Where'd you get that?" Cid declared with a laugh as he watched Barret move to the corner of the room to change.

"We stowed away on a Shinra ship before and that was his disguise," Zack told him with a grin. "Cloud said he looked 'like a teddy bear wearing a marshmallow'." Cid howled with laughter.

"I can't believe you hung onto it," Tifa added with a smile as she pulled out several shirts and pants, judging which ones would be the best fit for her.

"I said before, it's comfortable!" Barret declared as he puffed out his chest.

"Sure, whatever you say," Cloud grinned as he waved his arm dismissively at Barret.

Tifa laughed then stepped into the shower area to change while Red groaned loudly about having to stand on his hind legs again and pose as a human.

No one said anything further as they changed, Vincent surprising everyone when he did as well, before they moved out to the streets of Junon.

Finding an inn wasn't a problem and because of the recent attack there was plenty of vacancy for them to get three rooms and they divided up so that Tifa shared with Red, Barret with Cid, and Vincent, Zack, and Cloud all shared the rooms. They met temporarily in the room that Cloud, Zack, and Vincent all shared before going to their individual rooms for rest.

"We'll meet back here at 1am, don't be late. If you think we've been followed or suspect we're about to be attacked, contact us through the PHSs, don't leave the room unless you have to. All calls other than emergency ones are not to be made."

Everyone nodded their understanding of the brief before dispersing back down the hall.

_**Normal**_

I got back to the Highwind right as the sun was beginning to set and was happy that I did; that chunk of mythril seemed to gain weight every few minutes and the speed technique had drained me considerably.

Kunsel was waiting for me onboard which was no surprise.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked, eyes slightly narrow.

"I managed to get out quite a ways; I think my maximum is several miles at a time."

Kunsel nodded then stared at my obviously heavier pack. "Find something interesting?"

"Yeah, some mythril."

"Mythril, huh?" Kunsel still wasn't placated but he also seemed to realize that there were some things I either knew or could do that couldn't be explained. "What do you intend to do with it?"

"The collector that sold the key to the Temple to Dio, I think he might have something else we could use and he did mention a need for mythril while Zack, Cloud, and I were there previously. I also need help with constructing a Cetra weapon so I'm hoping he would provide some instruction."

The former SOLDIER shrugged. "I could have helped you there. Part of my education and preparation for SOLDIER included the basics for weapon maintenance, repair, and even some construction."

"I need help constructing a hilt," I informed him. "I have to make it myself so it suits me specifically."

Kunsel glanced at my hands then seemed to suppress a laugh. "Well I can give you this much advice, you'll need something small and depending on the use you might want to consider only a length of maybe a hand and a half at longest."

I rolled my eyes before heading into the ship and left him to his watchman duties. As if I couldn't guess that part myself, I already knew that while my feet were almost ridiculously big my hands were quite small, barely bigger than a child's actually.

Yuffie saw me staring at my hands as I passed her in the halls, heading down to my cabin to offload the mythril. "Something wrong?"

"No, Kunsel's on the deck."

"I know that!" she called after me and I noticed she was holding a tray with two sandwiches, apples, and cups.

"You two seem to be getting along well," I teased with a grin.

Yuffie blushed then looked down at the tray. "Wh-what are you talking about? I'm just hungry is all! This is for me!"

"Sure, I believe you!" I called after her as she ran up the stairs to the deck and I headed downstairs towards my cabin.

I offloaded the chunk of mythril on my desk and had just grabbed a pen and my notebook, intent to go up to the command deck and continue the book for Aeris when a knock sounded on my door.

"It's open Aeris," I called after a quick scan told me it was her.

Aeris opened the door at my call then stared at the chunk of metal on my desk. "What's that?"

"Mythril."

"What's the notebook for?"

"Poems, quotes, anything that interests me actually. Something you need?"

Aeris shook her head slightly and I could sense a bit of depression coming from her.

"Couldn't get the speed technique to work?"

"I… I got to the point where I was certain things looked to be in slow motion but I couldn't move any faster. Do you… Is there anything I can do?"

"Maybe when you're more proficient it'll come to you. I couldn't control that technique for a while, for me it just happened when I needed it too. Perhaps the same will be true for you."

"Could we practice something else? What do you think I could do?"

I thought for a moment on what Aeris seemed very good for. The other night I had been thinking of teaching her how to put people in a healing trance but it didn't seem like the right to do now. Something non-physical, something she would likely be very good at…

"Let's try your hand at Battle Meditation," I told her as I stepped around her and waited for her to step out after me.

"Battle Meditation?" Aeris looked visibly confused by the term.

"When employed you can raise the spirits of your comrades, lower those of your opponents, and possibly even direct the movements of others. Not entirely what you would expect with a name like that, is it?"

Aeris shook her head and listened avidly as I described Battle Meditation in better detail as we walked up stairs to the galley for dinner then to the bridge. We were joined by Cait Sith on the bridge who also listened to the last part of the explanation and to Aeris's various questions about the ability then posed several of his own.

I wasn't entirely sure how we could practice the skill so I had her try to mentally direct me for a while, trying to get me to raise my arm or walk to a certain point on the deck. Several times she was able to send a clear direction but after a long day of fruitless effort on a very demanding skill Aeris tired quickly and retired to her cabin.

Cait Sith watched with a lot of interest as we practiced, staying until we finished. "Would one of you be able to direct multiple people once this skill is mastered?"

"That is actually one of the points of this skill," I responded and realized that Cait had only heard the points and questions on raising and lowering the spirits of comrades and enemies then seen me trying to get Aeris to direct my movements. "How is Reeve doing?"

The little robot smiled. "He's doin' well, went to visit his mother yesterday. The surveillance is continuing so it may take a while before he can risk a call."

I sighed heavily as I realized it could be some time yet before I could speak to Reeve. It was strange; everyday that went by that I didn't hear from him wore on me. I was worried for him and the distance and lack of communication wasn't helping me to take a secular position.

Cait Sith proceeded to tell me about Mrs. Tuesti and her houseguests, how she was talented at sewing and cooking and currently lived in Sector 5. He also updated me on how the shelters in Midgar were doing, how they were having difficulty getting fresh water and food enough for everyone. It wasn't as engaging as being able to speak to Reeve directly but I appreciated the effort.

In turn I told him about the battle we had had against WEAPON since he hadn't been in the village to see it then told him about the speed technique I had tried to teach to Aeris earlier that day and how that had proven to be a bit of a letdown. I also reassured him that I still had Reeve's handkerchief on me and tugged it from my pocket where I always kept it.

Cait wandered off after an hour and I sat down at one of the workstations on the bridge, opened the notebook, and thought of where I should pick up since I had already defined a Jedi and described the three branches of Jedi and their sub-branches. It was time for techniques it seemed so I started with the most basic ones: getting started with your initial touches with the Lifestream, meditation, and levitation. For each of them I wrote thoroughly on clearing your mind, touching the power, and directing it. What you should expect to feel and dangers to go with them, especially on your initial touches with the power and meditation I described as thoroughly and carefully as I could, being sure to give a firm warning.

My PHS rang suddenly right when midnight rolled around and I grabbed it, uncertain of who could be calling. It was way too early for the Junon strike team to be ready for a pick-up; if the plan was still on they shouldn't have even mobilized yet! Reeve wouldn't be calling either since he was under surveillance and it was far too late for him to still be awake since he had work in the morning. Well, if this was a telemarketer they were in for a slight shock.

"Hello. You have reached the Suicide hotline, ambassadors to the other side! To get started on planning your death please listen to our menu and at the beep make the appropriate selection. For final messages press pound six times then 13 thirteen times before yelling triskaidekaphobia. For advice on your perfect type of suicide press star three times then perform seven clockwise turns, two counter-clockwise turns, and pirouette into the middle of the nearest highway. If you have suddenly found a reason to live, then hang up. BEEP!"

I listened to the line for a few seconds longer, hoping to hear some confusion or even laughter if someone called my bluff. Instead the line was eerily silent and I found myself getting bored and hung up instead.

Grabbing the notebook, I wondered which technique to write about next and decided to start on the Mind Trick. This one technique ended up having a lot of nuances and points that needed to be mentioned. There were a whole slew of warnings for those who had never done it before, warnings about how even a small touch could cause massive damage, and firm warnings about the abuse of this ability.

Right as I finished writing about the Mind Trick I finally remembered several things that had slipped my mind earlier of my experiences with Gaia thus far, the first being I'd never encountered a telemarketer. The next thing to occur to me was that this was the second time I had received a call like this, Gongaga being the first time and that this had started after Reeve's phone had been confiscated.

Shinra couldn't have developed some way of tracking phones, could they? I thought the technology difference based upon the computer and recorder found in Ifalna's house indicated almost forty years of difference in tech! Then again Gast wasn't exactly well funded at the time he was hiding with Ifalna, he probably used what he could afford and that would be old and cheap since I seriously doubted he would have any lucrative offers in Icicle Inn. A PHS like what we had could be judged at roughly twenty years behind the technology curve on Earth and that should still pre-date most forms of mobile tracking. But once again I had to think of what we probably had in comparison to what was probably the best on the market because I seriously doubt the phones of AVALANCE were top-of-the-line.

One thing was for certain though, I needed to assume that with Reeve's PHS out of his hand that anyone who got theirs on it would be able to get some form of call log, and that was if Shinra didn't have one already because they were the controlling agency.

For this situation it was probably best to keep in mind one of the Moscow Rules: once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is an enemy action.

_**Junon**_

Cloud was hardly able to sleep during their brief down time and found himself shifting on his bed throughout his turn for sleep, eyes never leaving the clock.

The time finally came and the others turned up without incident. The owner of the inn didn't seem at all surprised that they were leaving at such an hour and didn't bother them as they ducked out into the darkness.


	44. Chapter 44

Tori: Still no cookies…

SA: We have pizza at the moment.

Tori: Pizza isn't cookies.

Saria: Chocolate…

Zas: Man, if Rachas ever really did wind up in Gaia she would probably go through one of the worst withdraws for chocolate ever.

zzzzzzzzzz

_**Junon**_

Cloud could honestly say that he was getting nervous as their group rushed through the streets of Junon. He honestly felt as though they were either forgetting or missing something crucial. But what could it be? Their group consisted of those that Shinra had not shown interest enough in to mobilize a force to capture as of yet. They had the plans for how to get to the reactor all in order and there should be plenty of escape pods and subs for their use in case they got stuck. Still though, that feeling persisted.

"Alright, so we go down this walkway to the elevator," Tifa quietly informed their group as they trudged into the central complex of Junon.

They all walked at an even pace, trying their best to look like they were guards going on duty. From his vantage point near the back of the group, Cloud could admit that they did look a bit out of place. Zack and Vincent looked too tall and Barret just plain didn't look right. Red looked almost like he were slipping around, Cid was doing his exaggerated swagger, and there was no denying that Tifa was a woman.

There was a small group of guards doing a drill at the end of the hall and leading them was a sergeant Cloud was sure he remembered from his own days in the military. The man was notorious for hard drills and harsher expectations.

"Alright pansies, let's see how hard you trained!" the officer shouted as he turned around. The men in his platoon exchanged looks the moment his back was turned then all of them did an impromptu about-face. "Charge!" The officer took three steps forward before realizing that his troops had used his moment of inattention to runaway.

"He-hey! That's the Underwater Reactor! Come back!" he shouted when he saw where his troops were headed. "Those wimps can't take a little practice, can they?" he declared before focusing his eyes on the disguised heroes. "You ladies here to train or on duty?"

"Just clocking on," Zack replied as he led their group past the officer. "Need to hurry to our assignments."

"Good to see some initiative still around here," the officer remarked as he picked up his own feet and over took Zack so that he was now leading the group. "Gotta get my bunch of slackers now, hopefully they aren't bothering too many of the ladies."

They parted ways with the officer at the end of the hall as he shoved his way into the first elevator and stood by the door, preventing any of them from also boarding. The second elevator arrived a few seconds later and Cloud had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing as the runaway troops exited the elevator and ran for the exit. Two of the men stayed on the elevator though, both of them intent to hit on the elevator attendant.

Barret nodded at the attendant politely as they boarded the elevator and she blushed as she took in the forms of Vincent, Zack, and Cloud. The two soldiers both scoffed when they saw this and rather than fight one another they came to an impromptu agreement.

"How 'bout, whoever stays alive, gets to take her out," one of the men told his comrade.

"All right, you're on," the other declared as they both entered a fighting stance.

Cloud rolled his eyes as he glanced at Zack who also wore an exasperated look.

"Look fellas, we don't want a fight! I already have a girlfriend!" Zack declared before stepping aside as one of the men attempted to swing at him. The man's fist connected with the metal wall of the elevator as the other attempted to take a swing at Vincent.

The former Turk didn't attempt to step aside, instead opting to bring his bionic arm up to catch the man's fist, his clawed fingers cutting deeply into the man's flesh. The trooper squeaked as he dropped to his knees, holding his lacerated arm.

The attendant who had first watched with great interest as the men seemed to want to fight for her seemed very disheartened by Zack's announcement of having a girlfriend and put-off by Vincent's claw.

"… Great. There went two perfectly good men!" she grumbled as the elevator came to a stop at the bottom of the shaft.

None from AVALANCHE offered her any words as they piled out of the elevator into the hall where another man stood who looked like he was just about to come off of duty.

"Okay, back to work. Back to work!" he yelled and pointed towards the end of the hall towards the reactor as another trooper appeared from that direction, helmet already off as he yawned loudly.

"… I'm sleepy." The second man rubbed his baggy eyes as he stepped around AVALANCHE without a second glance and entered the elevator they had just left. "And if you're the group that ran away, your officer is starting to look pretty mad."

"That fucker ain't with us!" Cid said before Tifa caught him in the ribs with an elbow.

Cloud covered for him. "We're just clocking on now."

The first guard stepped around them to the elevator now and nodded as he did before glancing at Cid. "Don't let him hear you talking like that, that guy can make your life hell."

The elevator closed behind them and Zack was quick to take the lead down the hall, descending several short staircases as they went.

"We should be approaching another elevator soon," Tifa told them as they turned another corner and descended a longer staircase than what they had previously encountered. Sure enough at the end of the hall was a service elevator and they all clambered onto the platform right as the harried looking officer appeared.

"Have you seen those wimps that ran?" he demanded before any of them could get the elevator moving.

Red decided to speak up first as everyone else glanced at one another. "They evaded you by taking the elevator you didn't use back up."

The red clad officer cursed as he turned and headed back into the hall. "When I get my hands on those smart-asses, I'm going to drill them into the ground!" he promised aloud as he stomped back towards the stairs.

Everyone exchanged glances before Cid reached over and pressed the down switch, starting the elevator to the lower levels. There were still no alarms going off so it seemed that no one was aware of their presence just yet.

The elevator reached the bottom of the shaft and Cloud and Zack led the way out, ready to deal with any threats that might be present. All they found was a dimly lit service corridor, the walls, ceiling, and even portions of the floor were covered in steaming pipes and electrical cords. A narrow walkway led down the hall, just wide enough for one or two people to walk through.

"I'll go first," Cloud told Zack as he stepped out and began to walk slowly through the corridor, ears and eyes tuned for any possible threats. Behind him he was keenly aware of Zack and the others following him onto to walkway. A glance at his watch revealed that it was almost a quarter til two.

"Wow," Zack murmured from behind him as they turned a corner and found themselves staring out at marine life. "Best aquarium I've ever seen!"

The group continued into the underwater corridor, a number of them staring at the amazing view of the fish and dark water that was lit up by the lights of the reactor. Tifa smiled at the dolphin that swam near the walkway while Red stared hungrily at a school of fish that swam back and forth before him.

"Man, Marlene'd love this!" Barret declared as the dolphin twisted before their eyes, barrel rolling.

There were no guards in this place though they did see a chained up monster that was obviously meant for security purposes. It looked not unlike a skeleton that had been glued to a wooden pirate ship while wielding an oar. It roared at them as they passed by and waved its oar frantically, obviously trying to hit one of them before casting a strange blue fire spell.

Red yelped loudly as he was burned by the flames and fell to all fours before turning his head to check the wound that had been caused by the fire while Zack and Cloud rushed the thing, swords drawn and ready to strike.

"I got this," Tifa assured Red as she pulled out a Restore materia and cast a weak Cure.

Red studied the wound and saw the burn return to a normal skin color though his fur was unlikely to grow back in that area. He growled lowly as he stood back up on his hind legs while Vincent and Barret backed up Cloud and Zack who hacked solidly at the ship portion of the monster.

The skeleton was pretty tough and had a fair amount of life in it, but it was chained up pretty tightly and couldn't reach the majority of them. The tunnel setting made a number of spells such as Fire or summoning impossible to perform but that didn't stop spells such as poison.

THUNK! "Fuckin' hell! What kinda retard makes such a low ass ceiling?" Red heard Cid yell and realized that the pilot had attempted to jump into the fray as well but had obviously hit his head if the way he clutched it was anything to go by.

Tifa sighed but raised the obviously young Restore materia and cast the spell. "Use materia!" she called to him since he would need more room than what was immediately available to them.

"Right!" Cid yelled back as he yanked out a yellow materia that neither Red nor Tifa had seen him use before. "Take this you bum-skull!"

The yellow materia glowed for a moment and then Cid rushed the skeleton monster also, slashing at it with his spear which glowed yellow. His blow struck true, stabbing the skeleton right between the eyes and the monster went limp for a moment before its form glowed yellow and began to shrink.

"The hell?" Barret declared as they all stared at the glowing form that became a rectangular shape that was easily recognized as a book as soon as the glow began to dissipate.

Cloud reached out and grabbed the book and read "Guide Book" on the cover.

"Maybe Rachas or Aeris can make use of that," Red suggested and Cloud nodded as he tossed the book to Barret who quickly stashed it into his pack.

They left the area quickly, rushing through the last portion of the tunnel and entered what appeared to be the last elevator. Tifa walked to the far side of the elevator and pressed the down button.

_**Normal**_

I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised about my phone number getting out and though it was just twice that I had an unexplainable phone call, I was already very much starting to worry.

After thirty minutes of stewing in the cockpit while staring at the phone, I climbed up to the deck for some air and found Kunsel still there on guard duty. Yuffie was curled up, asleep on the deck with Kunsel's jacket covering her.

"Something wrong?" Kunsel asked when he saw me on the deck.

I shrugged before staring out at the darkened land around us, a cool breeze blowing slightly. "Is it possible for Shinra to follow a person's phone? Track them?"

A thoughtful look from Kunsel was what I received as he thought on the possibility. "I think the Turks worked out a system where they can get a general idea where someone is located by using a cell phone. It takes a while to work though, and the area isn't small, fifty miles if I remember right. Why-" He cut off when he saw my phone in my hand.

"I just got a strange call, and whoever it was didn't say anything."

We stared at the phone for a moment longer before both of us glanced out at the horizon. There was no movement, no lights, nothing we could see. That didn't mean nothing was out there.

"Fifty miles might be hard to find individual people, but this ship will be very easy to spot," I said before turning back to the door. "Get Yuffie and yourself inside, we're moving!" I ran through the ship to get back to the cockpit fast, there was no telling how much time we had left before a possible attack force may reach us.

"Everyone up!" I called as I pushed through the door, jolting the crew who was nodding off into wakefulness. "We're moving; maintain five hundred feet above ground level at highest to avoid radar detection. No lights, we can't let anyone know that we are about!"

"Where to?" the pilot asked as he straightened up behind the helm.

I thought for a moment and realized that since everyone else should be gaining a sub, there was no reason for us to stay on the East Continent, and I wanted to get the hell away from Junon. As for contacting the others, we would have to use Kunsel's PHS and get somewhere where we would have reception since I doubted we'd be able to make use of the Highwind's antennae. Momentarily I thought of trashing my PHS but stopped when I realized that one person in particular would be endangered if I did: Reeve.

"Take us out over the ocean, away from any radar environments." Pulling out a map, I indicated where the weapon seller's house should be. "There should be a village in this area, if the others call then we should receive the message and still be close enough to do something."

"Yes sir!" the pilot called out as the navigator began to plan the course after giving the pilot a rough heading to follow.

"Estimated time enroute is four hours!" the navigator called out as Cait Sith rushed onto the bridge.

"What's goin' on lassie? The others done?"

"No Cait, we need to move as a precaution."

"Why?"

I stared at the cat, uncertain whether I should tell him or not. If I admitted what had happened then Reeve would hear and though he was smart, I didn't want him to take any more unnecessary risks. "T-th-th-" I tried my best to lie but at that moment a pain went through my mouth and I couldn't say what I wanted. My eyes widened as I thought back to those months ago when I made that deal with Minerva to save Sector 7, the deal that I couldn't lie if it wasn't necessary to hide my identity. Reeve may be important to me but I couldn't lie to protect him, Minerva wouldn't allow it! When we made that deal it wasn't at my discretion, she had actually made it impossible to lie unless it was necessary for protecting my identity!

Snapping my mouth shut, I was spared from trying to say anything as Kunsel charged into the bridge, Yuffie on arm.

"Have you already set a course?" he demanded when he saw the navigator setting down his pen and giving the pilot a final course heading.

"Yeah, we're heading to the Western Continent. We'll be close enough to respond when they call."

"Why are we moving?" Cait Sith repeated his question loudly, and Kunsel turned to the robot.

"Shinra might have a way to track us, we're moving as a precaution."

"How?"

Kunsel glanced at me and I shook my head, I didn't want him to tell.

"Rachas's PHS number seems to have gotten out."

"What?" Yuffie demanded as she glanced around. "How can they track us using a PHS?"

"The towers that pick up signals, it's not accurate but they can get a general idea."

"You can't tell Reeve!" I declared as I stepped forward and grabbed Cait. "You cannot tell him!"

"I'm supposed to report on you all though. Certainly Reeve can he-"

"He'll be endangered if he does! Protect your creator and we'll keep moving!"

Cait Sith stared at me before nodding slightly.

_**Underwater Reactor**_

They had just crossed a catwalk overlooking what seemed to be a submarine hangar and into yet another hallway.

"Can't make this easy, can they?" Barret grumbled as they exited the hallway and found three guards on duty.

The three men seemed surprised to see them, that was for sure. The one patrolling the room actually jumped slightly.

"What 'er you guys doin here?" one of the guards by the far door asked. "Thought the shift change got pushed back an hour!"

"No, regular change," Cloud replied as he stepped to the front of the group again.

"Better check," the second guard said as he walked to a phone on the wall. He was stopped by Tifa as she punched him hard across the side of his head, knocking the man out.

"You! The terrorists!" the pacing guard declared as he raised his firearm only to be set upon by Red who clawed and bit his query.

The last guard, who was the first to speak, was brought down by Cloud himself as he smacked the man with the broad side of his sword.

"Well, we might still be able to sneak out," Cid said optimistically.

Cloud shrugged and they moved into the next room to find two more guards who had apparently heard the commotion. One was talking into a wall phone while the other had his gun aimed, ready to fire. Vincent took them both out inside of seconds, first shooting the armed guard then the one on the phone.

"No more surprise," Zack declared as he tore off the infantry helmet and yanked off the top of the uniform. Everyone followed suit as they walked into the next room, Red being the only one to completely remove the uniform.

The next room was yet another catwalk that passed very close to a reactor core where a crane was reaching into the machine.

"What is that?" Tifa asked as she watched the crane begin to retract.

"The Huge Materia," Cloud replied.

Cid seemed to realize what was happening at the same moment as Vincent. "That's what you think! Fucker!" he shouted as a case was raised from the core and the crane began to move towards an opening in the wall, all of them turning and following along the catwalk.

"There it is!" Zack pointed at the container that was being lowered into a red submarine.

"What are you doing? Help load!" came a voice that most of the group recognized at least in part. Standing by and watching the loading of the equipment was Reno, his back turned to them.

"Don't think so!" Zack replied as he jumped back slightly, lowering himself into his attack position with his Buster sword drawn.

Reno stiffened then turned to face the group. "Zack? Cloud? You're alive?" The Turk looked torn between shock, relief, and anger.

"I refuse," Vincent deadpanned, earning him a whoop from Barret and a laugh from Cid.

"You know I don't work for cheap!"

Zack laughed a bit at Cid's remark before turning to Reno. "Give us that materia or else!"

Reno almost looked sorrowful as he looked them over. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to deal with you. My priority is the Huge Materia." As he spoke a strange robot hobbled towards them, its large arms reminding several of them of the carrying pole used by milkmaids or water-carriers. Reno raced off while the rest of them were transfixed by the robot.

The robot fired a laser at them the moment that it was within range and because the lot of them were still on the walkway, it was very hard to dodge the laser.

Barret yelped loudly when he couldn't move fast enough to avoid the laser and landed hard on his side, sporting a nasty scorch on his leg. Glancing down at his leg, the gunner roared then leveled his gun at the machine and opened fire.

Tifa rushed to his side, the Restore materia in hand and began to cast. "Agh, should have gotten either Aeris or Rachas's high level Restores instead of this thing," she grumbled as the wound healed from a black scorch to a red scorch.

Zack yelled as he regained his feet and rushed the machine, dodging a swat from one of those arms. His sword bent the metal of the main core of the metal monster before he was knocked away by one of the arms.

"Get the arms first!" Cloud yelled as he rushed the right arm, his sword denting the metal while Red latched onto the other arm, but his teeth and claws had very little impact.

Vincent leveled his gun as Tifa cast Cure again on Barret and aimed at the machine's yellow eye. One shot later and the robot was flailing around, blind.

Cid and Zack both attacked then, Cid jamming his spear into the joint of the arm that Cloud was occupying as Zack slammed the metal of the opposing leg.

The robot jerked from the combined force of the four combatants slamming into it and the bullets of Barret's second salvo. It caught itself on its three legs and in a surprising show of dexterity managed to snag Red around his lower regions.

Red howled angrily and attempted to snap at the machine as he was dragged into the air.

"Oh come on!" Zack exclaimed as he stopped himself, bordering on a limit break.

Tifa had finally managed to heal the rest of Barret's burn and now found herself staring at the situation involving Red. "What happens if we attack?"

The machine didn't give them a chance to find out as it slammed Red against the ground and tossed away his unconscious body.

"That answers that, freakin' machine!" Cid spat as Zack charged towards the downed Red, digging a Phoenix Down from his pack as he did.

The robot chose to fire its laser at them again and the lot of them jumped or dove to avoid the attack.

Finally able to join the attack, Tifa charged forward as Cid jumped high. She wove around the flailing arms of the machine and kick-flipped off of one of the legs and nailing the core of the machine. As the brunette woman followed up with another kick that summoned water to add to the damage, Cid came down with his spear and drove it hard into the circuits of the robot's backside then yanked it free and jumped high again to repeat the attack.

The robot refused to go down though, not yet, and fired its laser again only for everyone to once again dodge. Vincent and Barret, who had ceased firing when Tifa charged, returned fire between Cid's assault dives until Cloud rushed forward and slammed his blade into the middle of the machine's central area, his blade slicing straight through to the other side.

Cloud yanked his sword free as the machine finally seemed to die, the lights on its front panel extinguishing.

"Guys, the sub!" Zack yelled from where he was helping a woozy looking Red.

Cloud and the rest finally saw that while they had been occupied the submarine had indeed left.

"There's one left."

"Hold on to your horses, let's get it from them!" Cid declared as he pointed at a submarine that was located at the far end of the marina, troops still racing to board the vessel.

Cloud led the rush across the bay this time with Tifa and Vincent close behind. Zack supported Red across the bay while Barret and Cid followed.

"Ugh!" Barret yelled as he tripped over what looked to be a pole near the ramp to the submarine.

"Can't keep your feet under ya?" Cid asked the man as he gave him a hand up.

"Hah," Barret replied dryly as he yanked the metal pole out and prepared to toss it aside.

Cid's eyes widened at the sight of the pole. "Wait!" he yelled and grabbed at the weapon Barret now hefted. Running a critical eye over the weapon, Cid nodded his approval and took it from Barret. "I can use this."

"Wonder what else we can use," Barret wondered aloud as he glanced at the various crates that surrounded them before grabbing several and hauling them onboard as soon as he saw that Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent had cleared the way.

"Wait!" Cid yelled then shrugged and grinned as he grabbed a crate himself and dragged it onboard. Extra supplies would only do them good! He boarded right as Zack and Tifa tossed the former crew out.

"Who knows how to operate a submarine?" Cloud's voice rang through the sub.

_**Shinra**_

It was extremely late but if you were trying to catch someone unaware, it was the perfect time to be up and about. Such was the case with Hojo that particular night.

"Try calling the number again!" he demanded again after so many fruitless attempts. At his urging they had waited an hour after the initial call so the specimen would relax and hopefully be careless enough to answer a second call in a half awake manner which would allow it them to get a better fix on its location. That was starting to seem like a mistake because the calls no longer seemed to be connecting. All they knew from the short time they had had previously was that the specimen was located a fair distance away from Junon, obviously intending to strike come the morning.

Hojo didn't care one way or the other, he and his specimens would be perfectly safe from Meteor once secured in Deepground. For now all that mattered was securing his wayward specimens; the former Turk, SOLDIER, and the blond Ancient. If possible he might have the other Ancient taken as well and several more SOLDIERs.

Most likely they were moving already and the Ancient had shut off the device for their approach into Junon so as not to attract attention. Little did they know that Rufus had stepped up the date of the launch of the Huge Materia to three days from now. The boy seemed certain that AVALANCHE wouldn't have the time or means to interfere.

Yet again a no service signal sounded from the tracking device that they were using to try to find their targets and Hojo sneered before turning away and marching from the room. The specimens had to be on the move, had to be enroute to Junon, and he didn't have the time to get a capture team there!

Had any of his specimens been this difficult to catch? None that he could recently remember with the exceptions of Z and C when they had unfortunately escaped. He really had been blind with those specimens; his only success had been kidnapped by his most profound failure while he couldn't move! And it had happened at the same time that he had had that Ancient in easy reach!

Well, the past taught him several important lessons and he would be sure to use them and the first of them was don't send the slowest after the one most likely to run unless you had some means of enticing them to stay and fight.

Pulling out the various profiles of those he could possibly deploy for capture teams again, he began the tedious process of finding the perfect balance of strength and speed. Both of those elements would be necessary for the capture and he would also have to insure that there was no possibility of in-fighting.

_**Submarine**_

Operating the sub proved to be a group effort with Cid yelling directions at the same time as Barret while Vincent tried to help make small adjustments and Cloud fought with the unfamiliar controls. Just leaving the reactor almost resulted in them smashing into the walls of the marina.

At least Tifa had taken over the radar and kept track of the red sub that held the Huge Materia while Zack went crazy with the weapons system on board, firing torpedoes at mines, rocks, other subs, and finally sinking the other sub with two of their last five bombs.

Now they were all gathered around the hatch, arguing over how they should recover the materia from the downed submarine. Red refused to go since he had no opposable thumbs and thus wouldn't be able to open the hatches. Barret refused to go due to the fact that he couldn't swim very well. Zack, Tifa, and Vincent were willing to go though they weren't entirely sure how to go. They had found some diving suits and two tanks but with the exception of Vincent none of them knew how to dive.

Cloud was just about to declare that they all go when a squawk from the cockpit drew his attention. Glancing around to see if anyone else had heard, he walked down the hall to the control room.

"Sub two, come in," a voice squeaked over the radio. "Are you there sub two?"

Picking up the transmitter, Cloud responded "Sub two here."

"Good, sub two. Report back to base. We'll be flying the Huge Materia from the Junon Airport to Rocket Town."

"Copy that," Cloud replied before tossing down the receiver and heading back down the hall.

"I'm saying that the materia is right there!" Zack insisted as he pointed out to the turret of the opposing sub where a large gash could be seen. Someone had apparently found a way to adjust the sub's searchlight while he was away because it gleamed through the gash and Cloud was certain he could see the materia's container.

"Whatever we're going to do, we need to do it soon. Shinra's going to launch the materia from the airport."

Vincent ended the argument by grabbing an air tank and stepping through the hatch to the airlock alone and shutting it behind him.

"Hey!" Zack yelled after him, banging his fist against the door as the chamber began to fill with the brackish water of the ocean. Through a nearby viewing panel, they all watched Vincent swim quickly over to the wrecked sub and reach through the tear in the sub, widening it with his claw at one point, before retracting his arm which held one end of the materia container. He was back in the airlock a minute later, the hatch to the outside already closed behind him. It took less time for him to retrieve the materia than it took for them to find the suits and tanks.

"So, are we headed back to Junon?" Red asked as they headed back to the control room.

_**Normal**_

My PHS didn't ring again the entire night though I took no comfort in that. My limited knowledge of early cell phones was that they were bulky, a bit unreliable, and had difficulty making calls from quickly moving vehicles.

At some point I must have nodded off because one moment I was scanning the sky for any possible signs of pursuit or attack and the next I was being shaken awake by Kunsel as the Highwind landed gently on the outskirts of the town that the weapon collector lived in. The sky outside was still dark so there was no reason for me to go skipping off to his house just yet. Besides, Kunsel had his phone out and was talking to someone on the other end.

"Okay, so you guys have a sub now and don't need us to come back for you?" Kunsel asked aloud as he met my eyes and I automatically sat up a bit straighter. "Alright, I see. We'll keep a sharp eye out, so call us if you can't reach that plane in time."

He hung up the phone then and met my eyes, a very serious expression on his face. "They were able to collect the Huge Materia and think they might be able to intercept another at the Junon Airport but we'll be standing by just in case."

I nodded then glanced around at the crew, all of them looking a little worse for wear. There wasn't a single set of eyes that didn't look exhausted at the moment. "Do they anticipate the plane to be headed for Rocket Town?"

Kunsel nodded as he sat down next to me and unfolded the map I had used the previous night to indicate where I wanted the crew to take us. "Our position is just about perfect for an intercept if the plane does escape them since they are headed for Rocket Town."

"Good to know." I was tired beyond belief and sporting a spectacular headache. The only person who had gotten a decent night of sleep at this point was Aeris and I was very envious. She was probably still asleep and we had to stay up several hours more to insure the Gelnika went down.

"Gonna get something with caffeine," I informed Kunsel as I stood.

"Could use something myself."

We both left the cockpit along with the pilot and navigator, if I remember their names were Ran and Drix respectively. The four of us walked to the galley, hoping the cook wouldn't throw a fit over our being there. The man surprised us by already being up and having a pot of coffee and a pot of tea already ready. The Drix and I took tea while Kunsel and the Ran took coffee.

"Maybe the Captain is right about you not being a pilot," Ran teased sleepily as the four of us sat down with Kunsel's PHS between us.

"Not all pilots are chain-smoking drunks who use profanity in every sentence," I replied.

"Any idea how long it'll be before we know if we need to stay awake another four hours?" Drix asked as he yawned.

Kunsel nudged his phone slightly then looked up. "Should be within the hour."

Thunk.

Glancing over, I saw that Ran had just slumped over the table and banged his head against the surface.

"Hope they stop that fucking ship…" he murmured into the surface of the table and I didn't have the heart to tell him that they wouldn't.

"You're starting to sound like Cid," I pointedly told him instead. Ran just groaned and turned his head slightly to give me a half-hearted glare.

The cook came out a few minutes later carrying four bowls of hot oatmeal for us to go along with our beverages. He had even been nice enough to throw some berries on top of it that I didn't recognize.

"Hard to stay awake on empty bellies," he declared as he shoved the bowls in front of us.

I accepted the spoon he offered with a smile. "Easier than when they're full."

The man laughed warmly as the others all picked up their own spoons and began to eat. "Do you speak from experience?"

"Yep, a degree in Aeronautical Engineering usually results in at least one all-nighter a week while in college. Thank god I wasn't in Engineering Physics though, those guys pulled all-nighters three times a week. And I'm talking about regular times during the year, not exams."

"What happened during exams?" Kunsel asked.

"I worked in the tutoring lab so you can believe me when I say that the sign-up sheet for tutoring was 24-hours, 7-days-a-week the week before exams started."

All around me the men choked, even Kunsel.

"College for Engineering isn't for the faint at heart," I told them with a grin as I spooned up some of the oatmeal. "Though I did get to see some of the hilarious things some people do when sleep deprived. One of my roommates actually danced with a trash can while singing Sally's Song from Nightmare Before Christmas."

Kunsel pounded on his chest to help himself breath again. "And I thought SOLDIER exams were hard! Wait a moment, what's Nightmare Before Christmas?"

Ran's eyes traveled between Kunsel and me, he looked to be trying to decide which of us was crazier. "The Captain is right about you, you're not a pilot! Unlike what he thinks though, you're far too crazy to be a pilot!"

Drix laughed also as we continued to eat and cleaned his bowl first before standing and walking his bowl over to the return window. Right as I finished Kunsel's phone rang and everyone was instantly on edge as Kunsel raised the PHS to his ear.

"Did you get it?" Kunsel was silent for a moment then his shoulders visibly slumped. "So you missed it? Okay, we'll be on the look-out for it. And just so you guys know, we're in that village where we caught the bus to Gold Saucer last time we were there. You should be able to make the trip easily in that sub."

Ran groaned as he stood also and walked his bowl to the dish return window as well. "I'll get back to the cockpit."

"When does the second pilot take-over?" I asked as I dumped my bowl also.

"He's sick," Ran replied as the lot of us headed back to the bridge.

"Do you know how fast the Gelnika travels?" Kunsel asked Drix as we re-entered the bridge.

"Yeah, I'll get some estimations going on how soon it'll be here."

"Any instructions until then?" Ran was looking at me to take command again and it took a moment to get my thoughts in order.

"We'll stay on the ground for now; we'll be able to see them better while it'll be more difficult for them to see us. Make sure to keep the engines warm though and ready to go the moment anyone sees anything. Have all crew members that aren't essential for flight operations serve as look outs starting one hour before Gelnika is supposed to arrive, facing towards the east and north where the aircraft will most likely come from." I was going to put off any sort of take-off for as long as possible, WEAPON was out there and ready to attack, and that was how the Gelnika sank in the game.

"Gelnika should be in the vicinity in two hours forty six minutes," Drix announced.

"Got it!" Ran made the announcement to the crew over the intercom of the ship and several minutes later Aeris entered the bridge, eyes wide.

"The Gelnika? What happened?" she demanded as she wove her hair into its customary braid.

"We had to move last night because it seems Shinra might have a means to track us."

Aeris's eyes widened and she glanced over to Kunsel for confirmation. He nodded grimly.

Taking a deep breath, I began to explain the situation and help her get caught up on what had happened while she slept.

_**Submarine**_

Sneaking out of Junon hadn't been difficult and now with a sub at their disposal evading Shinra's eyes was easier than ever. The only problem that any of them had with the sub was that it was still a lot slower than the airship was. Crossing the ocean to their location would take seven hours!

Barret growled lowly as he tore through the crates he and Cid had liberated from the Shinra submarine hangar. Thus far he had found a trumpet of some sort, the scales of a dragon/lizard, food, water, and some ammunition. Not a bad haul really though some of the items, namely the trumpet and scales, confused him since he didn't know what they were for.

"Anything we can use?" Red asked as he walked into the cargo bay.

Barret shrugged as he pulled out a package of food and a bottle of water. "Not much else here though we can definitely make use of these."

Red nodded then sniffed at the package of food. "I preferred being on the Highwind. The meat the cook provides might not be as good as a freshly hunted meal, but it beats this dried stuff."

"Beggars ain't choosers!" Barret replied as he tore open the package and took a bite. He chewed for a second then made a horrible face and spat into the package. "Stuffs rank!"

Red barely suppressed a laugh as Barret wrenched the bottle of water and took a large mouthful.

A loud shuffling from the door alerted them to the approach of another and moments later Zack stooped through the door. "Hey, thought you guys would be down here!"

Barret shrugged before reaching into the crate and yanking out another packet of food and tossing it the former SOLDIER. "Somethin' ya need?"

"Thanks, and I want to see that book we picked up from the skeleton," Zack replied as he tore open the pack.

"Why? Can't open it, tried that already."

"A book you can't open?" Zack looked intrigued as he pulled out a piece of the processed food and raised it to his mouth. "What goods that?"

"Don't know."

Zack shrugged then stuffed the ration into his mouth then made a face and spat it back into the pouch also. "Goddess, what is this?" he demanded as he looked over the package. "Barret, this stuff expired two years ago!"

_**Normal**_

Everyone was on deck and waiting by the time two hours had passed from the time Kunsel had received the call. Aeris, Yuffie, and I were on deck and ready to cast summons and spells while Kunsel took over the bridge. The crew, even the chocobo minder, were spread out along the side of the ship, all eyes turned to the sky as the Highwind hovered just off the ground.

Yuffie had gotten some sleep during the night so she was ready to go, Aeris was fully rested, and I had just downed three ethers, four cups of tea, and the bowl of oatmeal. Now staring out at the ocean I tried to think of what spells I could possibly use.

Given the location a water summons would be best but I didn't have any, if I did I would be trying to use it to construct my sword as soon as I could master it. What were water materia anyway? Technically Ice so Shiva could be included in that. We didn't have Typhoon yet and then there was Leviathan…

Turning, I studied Yuffie's bangle and shuriken. I hadn't seen her use Leviathan yet and I was pretty sure she had it. Seeing no red in either her bangle or shuriken, I thought of the summons I had available. Choco/Mog had been handed over to Aeris, I kept Shiva, Ifrit, and Ramuh, Cloud had Titan, Cid had Bahamut, I had Kjata and Neo Bahamut, Yuffie had Leviathan, and Aeris had Phoenix. I had a number of summons that would suit Yuffie better than me that I didn't use, maybe I could make a deal with her seeing as how she didn't even equip Leviathan.

"Hey Yuffie," I started. "Would you happen to have any summons? Something we might be able to use against the plane?"

Yuffie thought for a moment then pulled out a summon materia. "Yeah, I've got Leviathan right here!"

"Haven't you ever used that summon?"

The ninja shook her head in the negative. "It's… Well… I know that Leviathan is sacred to Wutai and a good summon but…"

"Doesn't feel right?" I offered, knowing exactly what she meant. Some materia just didn't agree with me in the least, it was hellish the one time that Kunsel let me try his Gravity materia during a slow time. I couldn't get the damn thing to work at all.

Yuffie groaned but nodded. "It's like Leviathan likes me fine but we're no right so we can't work together."

"May I see it?"

Yuffie shrugged then handed the materia to me and I felt the rush go through me the moment my fingers connected with the orb. It wasn't forced like Fire was for me and felt even more right than Shiva or even my Ice did.

"If I promised to give you the offspring when it's mastered, may I keep this?" My question must have caught Yuffie by surprise because I felt her jump a bit.

"Umm… I don't know, Leviathan is a pretty rare materia."

I reached into my own pack and pulled out Kjata and handed it to her. "That is a materia from the Ancient City. Let me hang on to Leviathan and you can have that as well as the new materia when Leviathan is mastered."

Yuffie's tone took a bit more of a business edge, obviously hoping to gain a few more materia in this exchange. "I'm still not sure, I mean come on, I had to defeat the entire Pagoda of my people single handed to gain that!"

"And I went with Aeris to a place where I knew an attack from Sephiroth and Jenova was quite likely and gained that."

Yuffie pursed her lips, obviously still less than happy. "Ah, come on! I know you have more materia than what you use!"

I laughed then pulled out Ifrit and offered the materia to her. Yuffie grinned broadly as she grabbed the materia.

"And remember, I get the new materia when Leviathan is mastered!" she reminded me as she bounced slightly and slotted the two materia into slots on her armlet or shuriken, gazed at them for a moment, then unequipped one and left the other. I simply slotted Leviathan into my current sword.

"Did you get any sleep?" Aeris asked as I focused back out on the sky.

It took a moment before I realized she was talking to me. "Uh… I might have gotten an hour or two when I nodded off at one point. Kunsel's likely on even less than me," a loud yawn reminded me once again that we were going to need to hurry; I needed to get some sleep, visit the weapons collector, then we'd all have to get going to Rocket Town after picking up everyone else and I wasn't sure how much time we had to accomplish all of this! Should I just forgo sleep for a while longer and tank up on enough caffeine and sugar to give the cookie monster a heart attack and go straight to try to get Great Gospel and try to have my hilt made?

"There it is!" Yuffie's yell caused me to jump as I stared out at the sky where she was pointing and sure enough there was a ship approaching at high speed. But it wasn't moving in a straight manner, it was dodging around like it was trying to avoid something.

I grabbed the phone to the bridge as quickly as I could. "Get us down! It's WEAPON!"

"What?" Kunsel demanded.

Yuffie yelled at the sight of the Gelnika's pursuer. "It's a WEAPON in the sea!"

I turned to see Emerald had indeed risen from the sea and was glad I had ordered for the ship to remain low to the ground as it began to fire one of its attacks at the ship. Gelnika did its best to dodge and avoid the attack but it must have been lucky to have avoided the blasting attacks up to this point as they were widely spread.

The Gelnika's wing and fuselage were struck and the plane began to lose altitude rapidly as we settled back on the ground. The plane struck the water hard and after a minute one of the doors was forced open and a single life raft floated out onto the water as the wounded plane began to sink. Emerald wasn't going to let them get away so easily though and it fired another laser attack at the helpless little raft. The raft exploded under the laser fire and distantly I heard the echoing cries through the Planet as the crew of the Gelnika died.


	45. Chapter 45

Saria: Ugh… (runs to the bathroom)

SA: She's been doing that since 4am.

Tori: Well, at least it's an off day for her.

Zas: (is eating very runny sunny-side-up eggs) Maybe I'm just making this worse.

zzzzzzzzzz

Things I have learned thus far while in Gaia: sleep when you can, eat when you can, and Aeris is scarier than Hellmasker when she wants to be. The moment that WEAPON turned away from the shore and headed out to sea, I attempted to jump overboard with the mythril and go to the weapon collector's place. Aeris stopped me.

"You're not going anywhere until after you get some sleep!" she curtly informed me as she led me back to my cabin where my bed awaited me. Kunsel, Drix, and Ran were also escorted down for sleep. It was strange how polite and almost gentle she could sound while you could just feel the "or else" in her voice that promised punishment if she wasn't obeyed. It also left very little room for argument.

I wonder how Hellmasker, Sephiroth/Jenova, and Azul would feel if they ever found out that I found sweet, pink wearing Aeris scarier than them.

Still, at this point I guess her firmness was necessary, if I performed even a mild evaluation of myself I would have to admit that I was in no condition to go anywhere except bed. Over the past several days I had collected injury upon injury and made the situation worse by not sleeping regularly, thus I was exhausted and worn beyond belief.

As I settled into the bed and began to drift off, a shout rang through the hall as Kunsel suddenly charged down the hall.

"We have to call everyone about the WEAPON!" he yelled as he charged up the stairs towards the cockpit.

_**Submarine**_

According to Tifa they were over halfway to the Western Continent when the radio in front of Cloud squawked loudly. It took a few moments and the voice was very garbled due to the depth they were traveling at, but then Cloud almost laughed when he recognized the voice.

"You'll have to speak up Kunsel, you're very garbled," Cloud announced as he brought the transceiver to his lips.

"Be-e care-ful," the radio voice told them. "WEAP-ON just attacked Gel-" the rest of the message was cut off by static but Cloud immediately realized what was wrong: WEAPON had attacked Gelnika and the Highwind was probably in danger.

"We'll be there as quickly as we can! Try to hold on until then," he responded.

"Not in trou-ble," Kunsel's voice came again, significantly less warbled. "WEAPON in the o-cean."

Cloud's eyes went wide and he turned his head slightly to look at Tifa and Vincent. Tifa's eyes confirmed what he thought he had just heard and she began to redouble on her scanning.

"We'll be on the look-out," Cloud informed Kunsel. "Call us if you see it again."

"I'll inform everyone else and see what weaponry we have left," Vincent said before turning to the door.

"Thanks, and keep Zack off the controls this time," Tifa called after him.

Cloud studied the controls for a moment longer, wondering how quickly he could make this thing turn and considered the possibility of getting closer to the surface in case they were attacked.

"How far out would the Sonar pick up WEAPON?" Cloud asked Tifa after a moment.

Tifa stared at the display before her for a moment before answering. "A few miles would probably be the best we could ask for."

Cloud nodded then considered all other choices. They had no clue where WEAPON was headed and it was doubtful they could outrun the thing. If they angled either north or south they might stand a better chance of avoiding the thing but in turn if they did it would probably be harder to get to shore if they were attacked unless…

"Tifa, would Costa Del Sol be closer right now than the town?"

Tifa glanced at the chart where she was keeping track of their progress then nodded. "Yeah, it would be. We'd be there in just under two hours rather than three and a half."

Cloud nodded then began to adjust their course. "We'll head that way then and either follow the shoreline down or have them meet us. This way if WEAPON attacks we'll be closer to shore."

Tifa nodded as the door opened and Cid marched through, his new spear in one hand. "So, doom 'n gloom said there's news."

"We're heading towards Costa Del Sol in case WEAPON attacks."

Cid looked ready to snarl at the news then forced himself to relax slightly. "Shitty WEAPON gettin' between me and my ship."

Cloud shrugged as he made the final course adjustments. "After this we'll need to head for Rocket Town. Rachas seems certain they'll use your rocket to launch the Huge Materia."

"WHAT? Those fuckers are gonna do WHAT with my rocket?" Cid demanded loudly as his face turned a vivid shade of red.

"Can it still fly?" Tifa asked.

"If they put in new fuel and correct the posture it should fly just fine! We need to get there now! Ain't lettin' Shinra bitches take my rocket!"

"We have time," Tifa reassured him as she kept her scan going. "For now you should probably think on the team that should go with you into the rocket."

"I'm goin!" Cid declared hotly. "Who else has experience or knowledge in that area?"

"Rachas," Cloud responded which earned him a groan from Cid.

"Fine, that brat can tear my rocket apart all she likes! Better than losing it to Shinra."

Cloud shrugged as several more people shuffled in.

"What's goin' on?" Barret asked.

"Makin' a team for takin' my rocket from Shinra," Cid replied. "So far it's me and Rachas due to experience and knowledge."

"It's you and Rachas who will enter the rocket to take the Huge Materia," Tifa countered. "The rest of us will be there lending support on the ground."

"What about you, Tifa?" Red suggested. "You're strong with excellent hand-to-hand combat skills which would be perfect for a fight in close quarters."

Tifa shook her head emphatically. "I- I can deal with them when I have to, but I don't like heights."

"Kunsel may want to stretch his legs," Barret suggested then glanced at Zack. "What about you, SOLDIER man?"

Zack shook his head. "I've nothing against heights or rockets, but those and large swords don't mix. Sides, I think you guys will need me on the ground along with Cloud."

"You should probably take Cait Sith. Reeve's technical knowledge may be helpful," Vincent pointed out from the doorway and Cid nodded slightly.

"Shit, gotta be thoughtful on this one. Wait, won't they recognize that cat?"

"Not if the mog stays behind and someone carries him into the rocket. He's small enough to fit through any number of places," Cloud pointed out.

"Room for one more then, what'd'ya say doom n' gloom?"

Vincent stared at him for a moment then shook his head. "No space for a gun."

"I wouldn't make it up the ladder," Red adamantly declared.

Barret raised his gun-arm. "Same problem."

"You can't send me into my rocket with two engineers!" Cid yelled as he stared around the cramped room.

Everyone glanced around then Cloud pointed out, "Kunsel may want some action and he's proficient with a smaller sword than Zack or me."

Cid groaned as he rolled back on his heels. "Thought Rachas and Kunsel were keeping their heads down for a while."

Zack's eyes bulged in remembrance of what he had heard about Junon. "If they set a trap for them that would be the next place to do it."

Everyone groaned as they tried to think of what to do.

About an hour and a half later, the radio squawked again, a female voice sounding this time.

"Zack? Cloud? Do one of you hear me?" There wasn't anywhere near the level of radio interference this time so everyone looked to the radio as Zack grabbed the transceiver from Cloud.

"We're here Aeris, what happened?"

"Reeve just sent another message through Cait Sith, apparently Shinra intends to try launching the rocket the day after tomorrow."

"Was he able to get an exact hour?" Zack asked.

"Seven in the evening, that's when it's supposed to be in optimal position."

"And most likely be seen by people as they move about in Midgar," Tifa said through gritted teeth.

"Then we'll attack at 6:30," Zack announced. "They'll have started removing troops from the area then so defense should be at its lowest. As for Rachas and Kunsel, they can decide whether or not they'll go."

"Deciding already on who is going?" Aeris's voice sounded like it was laced with amusement.

"Cid definitely wants to go, and we think Rachas and Cait Sith minus his mog would be good also. Kunsel would be the muscle of the outfit."

"I'll be near useless without my mog!" an accented voice yelled from the background.

"You won't be fighting; you'd be there to help with the rocket. Circuitry, panels, all that stuff."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Aeris told them. "Will you be here soon?"

"We're heading towards Costa Del Sol actually," Cloud told her as he took the radio back. "Just a precaution due to WEAPON."

Aeris was silent for a moment and they heard some muffled voices in the background but couldn't make out the conversation. Finally Aeris was back on the radio. "Okay, try to land at a bit of a distance though; you don't want to lead WEAPON straight to Costa Del Sol."

"Roger that," Cloud replied as he adjusted his course a bit more northward. "We'll land to the north of the town and call you when we've landed." The blond swordsman hung up the transceiver then as the radio went silent.

"So, what did you guys find in those crates?" Tifa asked the new arrivals.

"Expired food, stale water, some scales and a trumpet." Zack's sarcastic enthusiasm drew several smiles. "I think we actually did Shinra a favor by taking it."

"Hey, wasn't all bad in there," Cid pointed out as he hefted his new spear. "Found this thing!"

Tifa didn't notice this though as she stared intently at the monitor of the sonar, she was certain for a moment that she heard something. The needle roved around again and she listened intently as it approached the quadrant that she thought there had been- yes! There it was! It wasn't showing up on the screen just yet but she was certain that she had heard a faint "ping", like there was some form back there.

"Guys, I think we have something on our tails!" Tifa called out and the cabin became silent almost instantly. Everyone listened as the needle swept around the screen towards their tail.

"Don't hear nothin'," Barret declared as he stared also.

"No, it's faint but there," Red told him. "Still far enough away that the screen isn't getting a view."

Cloud reached for the levers to control speed and forced them into the full position and prayed that if this was WEAPON that it wasn't aware of them.

_**Normal**_

I was still tired after my brief nap but I really needed to get to that weapon collectors house.

Shoving the mythril into my pack and toeing on my shoes, I made my way down the hall and up the stairs to the deck. Some of the crew were out and about and waved as I passed.

Climbing to the ground was easy enough even if I was a bit groggy; the breeze from the ocean woke me right up. Turning, I set off into the town still feeling a significant amount of weight on my shoulders.

Arriving at the right house, I knocked on the door and waited the few moments for the man to open it at which point I was invited inside.

"So you came back," he said as he pulled a pot off of the stove that was steaming. "How did your friends' negotiation with Dio go?"

"We were able to obtain the Keystone if that is what you are asking," I replied as I accepted a cup of the tea he had just poured from the kettle.

"So what are you doing back here then?"

"I heard you were looking for some mythril." Seeing the man's interested look, I reached into my pack and pulled out the chunk I had received.

The weapon collector stared at the chunk for a moment before reaching out and grabbing it, weighing it in his hands while turning it over and over, evaluating it no doubt. "Pretty fair sized chunk you have here, good quality too. How much do you want for it?"

I stared at him feeling mildly confused. I had thought he would just go ahead and make the offer of taking what was in the big box or small box.

"What are you willing to offer?"

The man stared at me in turn then glanced around his shop. "Hmm… Do you see anything that you might possibly like? I see you wield tantō and though I haven't many of those I do have some excellent ones."

"I was actually looking for something that a friend of mine could use," I informed him. "She's typically the healer of our group and wields a staff. As for me, I'm in the midst of trying to construct a… traditional weapon. What I need is a hilt that I created myself."

Opposite of me, the weapon collector smiled slightly. "Might be able to help you with both of those needs. It's easy enough to make a hilt though you seem to be going in the reverse order of what is normal, blades are usually made first."

I shrugged as I took a sip of the strong tea I'd been offered as the man thought for a moment then stood and pointed at a box near the door and a small safe-like box up the stairs of the display area.

"Choose either one of those for your friend, I'll be right back."

I stood myself as the man walked into the backroom then climbed the stairs and felt out with the power, pleased to find no riddle or trick. Opening the box, I extracted the scroll for Great Gospel. As tempting as it was to read the scroll, I shoved it into my pack for Aeris then walked back down the stairs, not even attempting to open or touch the big box.

The weapon collector returned right as I picked up my cup of tea again and held what looked to be some sort of mold and a cylinder.

"Is this what you're looking for?" he asked as he passed me the cylinder.

I rolled the metal in my hands before peering inside it. Sure enough the tube was partially hollow and held inside the hollow portion was what looked like green dust that shined much like the materia I had. Circling the tube was bits of leather with a feather and a fang of some sort hanging from the strips. It was a Cetra Spirit sword!

"Yes! This is exactly it! How did you get this?"

The man laughed as he set the mold on the table. "My father was fascinated by the Cetra and their weaponry too. He constructed that himself and attempted to make it work though it never did. Don't let it stop you though if you want to try."

"Alright, how long do you think this'll take?"

The collector stared at the mold, his father's hilt, and my hands before answering.

"Should be able to make a compatible one in just a few hours. We need to first find a smaller mold, one to suit your hands, then alter that slightly to resemble this one," he indicated the current mold.

"Let's get started then."

_**Submarine**_

It was definitely WEAPON on their tails, Cloud was certain. And when Aeris had contacted them again she had informed them of what happened to the Gelnika's crew when they had attempted to abandon ship.

That meant at the moment their only option was to try to keep away from the WEAPON until they could lose it long enough to do something as simple as surface.

They had passed Costa Del Sol some time ago and were now following the north shoreline around the continent as Tifa gave them frequent updates on WEAPON's position. Sometimes it was an identifiable mass on the sonar screen, sometimes it was just off. Never once though did it seem far enough away for them to actually get away.

"Four hours!" Barret finally yelled as WEAPON appeared on the screen again. "Following us for four fuckin' hours! Would it just do somethin' already?"

"That might not be a very smart wish," Red informed his as the form of WEAPON seemed to speed up and started to close in on their little sub quickly.

"I'll get it!" Zack declared as he pushed himself into the weaponry seat.

"You'll waste the last torpedoes!" Cid argued as Vincent stepped up and easily dragged Zack from the seat.

"I got the Shinra sub with the Huge Materia!" Zack protested.

"With two out of how many fuckin' missiles?"

"Umm… Enough?"

"I'll take care of this," Vincent stated as he took over the controls.

"Might not have to! There's a cave!" Tifa called out, pointing at an indent in the coastal shelf they were following.

"Ain't hidin' in no cave!" Barret declared as he stared at the thing. "We even fit in that?"

"We're about to find out," Cloud told him as he turned the sub and aimed for the mouth of the cave. "WEAPON surely won't fit though."

_**Shinra**_

People got more erratic while in fear Rufus finally had to admit. Perhaps his previous ideas on how to control people were a bit on the dim side. Presenting hope on the other hand did bring most of the normal citizens to heel easily enough. Right now the fact they had defeated one of the mighty WEAPONs was a source of hope for the people and playing on it was probably one of the main reasons there wasn't wide spread anarchy.

Sighing, Rufus gazed out at his city and tried to clear his head. The pressures of being the President weren't an issue, the pressures of being the President during a crisis like this with so many groups to be weary of though…

Heidegger and Scarlet had their own agendas, of that he was certain. Hojo always had a personal agenda. And he was willing to bet that Reeve had an agenda as well though his probably shouldn't be one that he should worry about. The man was loyal to the people and so long as Shinra was best capable of providing for him in that endeavor, then Reeve was no threat. That man had no aspirations beyond what he had.

News of the break-in at Junon had just reached him this morning via Reno who had been on duty at the submarine bay and Rufus could now say he was starting to worry. The Huge Materia might not be the best plan, but it was what they had at the moment. Then there was Sephiroth in the Northern Crater…

Maybe once Meteor was dealt by the materia bomb he would have the Turks get rid of Hojo, Scarlet, and Heidegger in one swoop, claim they were casualties of AVALANCHE or something. Then he'd have Sephiroth dealt with. Then those pests of AVALANCHE. Then insure Reeve understood his place, that man may not be after his position but it was obvious he felt he knew of better ways to spend money than how Rufus was doing it.

Didn't any of them understand that he was trying to resolve this as quickly as he could? Didn't any of them realize that he viewed war and violence as a tool and if he didn't have to use it then he'd be fine with stopping? Probably not.

Either way it didn't matter. He would be the respected one at the end of this. The hero of this age who stopped Meteor, a terrorist group, and brought the planet back from the brink of extinction. He would always be remembered as the philanthropic hero.

The blond President allowed himself a rare smile as he watched the first pieces of the Sister Ray get mounted as engineers began to run the support cables to all the active reactors.

_**Normal**_

Finding a mold that was similar to the original and suited my hand was a bit difficult but we did eventually find one after an hour of searching. The quick addition of some notches were all that was necessary to insure the hollow portions that were needed, and then we were in the furnace room, both of us shoveling coal into the furnace as we waited for the steel to get hot enough to melt.

It took a while, but finally the metal glowed a bright orangish-red and could be poured into the mold which I did as I called on the power to direct my movements even as the collector gave me instructions on what to do. It had to be done quickly even if the metal wouldn't be cool enough to touch very soon.

After the mold was set out to cool, I studied the hilt that had been made by the collector's father again, this time actually trying to feel what it had to say.

The materia he had used was an Earth materia that hadn't been mastered while the feather was actually a cut down Bolt Plume, the fang belonged to a Nibel wolf, and the leather was strips of dragon hide. Just from what the Planet and weapon murmured to me now, I could tell that had this man been a Cetra he would have probably made a masterpiece if he had used the right material. This particular piece however, though carefully studied and put together, was barely more than a hodge-podge. The fang and plume didn't work together and the leather didn't like the steel of the hilt. I'd have to be careful and listen to the materials I chose for my own weapon. Luckily though, Leviathan already seemed to know what I intended with its materia and seemed fine with the steel hilt I had made while I was making it.

Almost three hours after pouring the steel into the mold, the collector approached the mold with a pair of tongs and easily disassembled the mold, leaving a still far-too-hot-to-touch hilt that I found myself studying intently. It was different… I could feel my magic and the power of the planet within the structure that oddly gleamed as though covered in sheen that resembled water.

Leviathan also seemed pleased if the flash I saw on its materia was any indication.

"It should be cool enough to leave in an hour," the collector jerked me back from my thoughts as he sat down across from me and stared at the hilt as well. "Now, mind telling me why this is so important?"

"Just interested in Cetra culture," I replied.

"Bull." My eyes widened as I stared at the man who still couldn't pull his eyes away from the hilt. "You use their old name, the appropriate one, not the one Shinra saddled them with. You show up twice now and each time looking for either treasures or weapons of their culture, and you know exactly what they are and what you want. I've never seen a hilt come out like this, not even my father had. My grandfather once spoke though of an Ancient who created their weapon here, the one who left the mold I have. He told me how the hilt seemed to glow like fire even when cool enough to touch, and here you are with one that shines like water." He glanced up at me then. "You didn't even check what was in the larger box, simply walked up to where the Ancient scroll was."

I tensed as my hand slowly descended towards my tantō then stopped myself. There was no need to be violent; I could simply wipe this guy's mind.

The collector surprised me by bursting into laughter. "Your reaction is confirmation enough you know," he informed me. "You're good at hiding your emotions but nowhere near the level of someone who was scouted by Turk." He reached out then and gently touched my hilt. "You needn't worry about me telling anyone but I would like to see this when you finish."

"You were scouted by Turk?" I asked after a moment.

The collector nodded sagely. "I don't just collect weapons, I train with them. Every weapon in this shop is one that I've used at some point. Neither my father, grandfather, nor I have ever found a weapon we couldn't learn with one exception." He glanced meaningfully at the hilt constructed by his father. "No matter what he did, that weapon was never anything more than a dead piece of metal in his hand. He slowly went mad trying to make it work. I believe I would like to see for myself how this works."

"You won't be able to learn it, I can't teach you," I informed him which drew a laugh.

"I never expected you to; I just want to see for myself what my grandpa always told stories of: ethereal blades that could cut through anything then disappeared as though they were never there." He handed me my hilt then, the smooth surface feeling cool and fitting in my hand.

I thanked him for his help then departed and ran back to the Highwind where Aeris met me on the deck.

"The crew said you took off at around noon," she said as her eyes wandered down to the hilt I now held in one hand. "Where'd you go?"

"The collector's house," I informed her as I fished into my pack and handed her the scroll with a smile. "I was able to trade the mythril for some very useful things."

Aeris stared at the scroll then gently unfurled it, eyes widening at the Cetra text inside.

"That's something I think you'll find very useful," I informed her as I made my way below deck, fully intent to sleep for the next week or so. That notion got derailed rather rapidly by Kunsel who appeared from the galley.

"Hey, good to see you made it back!" he called as I descended the stairs.

"Yeah, just need some sleep now."

"Good, be sure to get plenty of rest and food because the day after tomorrow we're teaming with Cid and Cait Sith in Rocket Town to get the Huge Materia before it's launched."

"Rocket? We?" I asked as my brain short circuited.

"Yeah, the four of us will be boarding the rocket before it is set to launch to take the materia. That is if you want to go-" Kunsel was cut off by me as I gave him a mighty bear hug.

"Of course I'll go!" I yelled, unnoticing of Kunsel going stiff due to my volume because inside I was throwing the celebration of the century! I was going to outer space! Dreams really do come true!

"Rachas… you're killing… me…" Kunsel wheezed even as Yuffie and Aeris appeared and gaped at the display I was making.

"Lass?" Cait Sith's appearance resulted in me grabbing up the cat robot and pulling him into the hug. Then I grabbed Yuffie when she tried to rescue Kunsel and added her to the group hug. Aeris seemed to realize I was a little dangerous at the moment and stayed several feet back until I released everyone.

"Guess… you really do… like rockets…" Kunsel wheezed as he helped Yuffie steady herself.

"My ribs," the mini-ninja groaned.

I was still holding Cait right then but he didn't seem to be quite as affected by my monstrous hugs. Instead he seemed to enjoy being held and laughed slightly at the expressions of Kunsel and Yuffie.

"Well, now that that is out of your system, I suggest you get dinner and go to bed," Aeris stated sweetly. "The pilot and navigator can watch the ship for now and you'll want to be fully recovered and rested by the time we get to Rocket Town."

"Alright," I replied then stumbled towards the galley as that rush left me drained. The cook welcomed me warmly and handed me a plate of pasta with some mixed vegetables. I ate hurriedly, Cait Sith sitting comfortably in my lap. Around us the crew of the Highwind chattered a bit, all of them avoiding the topic of WEAPON attacking this morning. None of them seemed ready to have to face such a monster despite the fact that it would probably be necessary in order to get rid of them.

Come to think of it, this world was going to need a lot of clean up when all of this is through, and I didn't just mean the mako reactors and alternate sources of energy. The WEAPONs would all need to be dealt with, housing built for all the people who lost their homes, food, monsters, medical attention, the cure for Geostigma, mining and drilling would probably have to be started to at least start the process of getting aircraft off the ground again, trading routes… The list went on and on.

Most likely when this was all over, mine would be one of the few aircraft not grounded due to it not relying on mako.

Cait Sith must have noticed I was distracted because he offered some encouragement, probably thinking that I was scared of the upcoming mission.

"Don't worry lass; we'll all be there to help if there is an attack by those strange foes you encountered."

"I'm not worried about that," I reassured him with a smile. "Just thinking about all the work that's going to have to be done to rebuild is all."

Cait chuckled slightly in a way that really reminded him of Reeve and I hoped that it was him who had taken control but was disappointed when Cait spoke again in his own tone. "I think Reeve would dwell on that as well if he had the time at the moment. Right now though there is only so much he can do and with Rufus cutting funds to his section he has to find new ways to make everything hold together."

I nodded as I finished my meal then stood and walked the dish to the return window, Cait Sith hopping off of my lap and following on his mog. "Tell him to be careful and not overextend himself."

Cait bobbed his head in agreement to my request then we parted ways at the entrance to the galley as I headed for my room to catch up on some much needed sleep and he headed to the cockpit to monitor the radio.

_**Submarine**_

The tunnel they had entered was a long, narrow thing and Cloud couldn't figure out if the sub was even capable of reversing since they couldn't turn around. Last thing they all needed was to piss off WEAPON by ramming it with a sub. Instead they followed the tunnel for mile after mile, several hours passing without an end in sight. The lights to the sub cut through the murky water and illuminated the walls of the cave but little else.

Tifa seemed certain that they were well under the Western Continent though she was only able to guess as to where.

They were all hungry but all refused to eat the expired food. The water was a god send though.

"If there were a cavern down here it'd be a good place to hide from the rest of the world," Tifa said after the second hour and Cloud had to agree with her. Only the insane or driven would dare to try to pass through this tunnel, especially since there was no way to turn around.

Right as he contemplated handing the controls off to Cid or Vincent, what looked to be an opening appeared before them that led to a large, open area of water. Seeing no harm in taking a look around, Cloud set the sub to ascend and everyone craned their necks, attempting to look out the main viewport in order to see what was above them. A splash could be felt then they had a spectacular view of a mountainous area that surrounded the lake they were occupying.

"Let's check this out!" Zack exclaimed as he jumped from where he was slumped on the floor and raced to the hatch. He was followed by Barret and Cid, both eager to get out of the sub.

Tifa on the other hand was staring at some charts. "I think I know where we are!" she finally told Cloud excitedly then pointed at a lake. "We should be right here; the other can pick us up enroute to Rocket Town easily! We won't have to face WEAPON!"

Cloud glanced at the map himself before grinning also. They might not have made it to their original destination but it was better than Costa Del Sol!

Vincent hmphed behind them before standing also, obviously intending to join the others outside and Red followed him.

"I missed you while you were gone," Tifa said as she stood from her chair and stretched.

"Thanks," Cloud replied. "Thanks for waiting and helping." Turning back to the controls, he grabbed the radio to finally give the Highwind the call they were probably all waiting anxiously for.

_**Normal**_

The ship didn't feel normal when I woke up and a glance out my window told me why immediately. The Highwind was hovering over a lake in the mountains. The lake that was in front of Lucrecia's cave.

Shoving off my blankets, I pulled on my shoes then raced out to the deck to see that everyone was on the ground below, even Aeris and Cait.

"Couldn't bother to wake me, could you?" I called down to them as I lowered myself on a tie down line.

My arrival on the ground was met with a hug from Tifa as everyone called a "good morning" or some other greeting. Aeris was happily showing Zack the scroll for Great Gospel while everyone milled about.

"We're going to be re-boarding the Highwind in a few minutes to start the planning session for the mission tomorrow," Kunsel informed me as I glanced around.

"So is Vincent already onboard?"

Kunsel jerked his head about then looked up towards the ship. "Did you see him up there?"

"No."

Kunsel groaned as his eyes scanned the surrounding area while I looked to the northern shore of the lake where the cave should be. I caught sight of a red cape right as it disappeared into the cave.

"I think I saw him," I told Kunsel then headed in the direction of the cave.

"You sure?" Kunsel asked as Yuffie bounced up next to us.

"Positive."

Yuffie saw we were headed towards a cave and crinkled her nose slightly. "Why would Vinny go into a cave?"

"Treasure?" I offered and laughed as she raced ahead of us towards the cave.

Kunsel laughed slightly also as we ran after her, him catching her right before she entered the cave.

"Gotcha!" he teased as his arm looped around her waist and drew a laugh from her as well. Stepping around the couple, I entered the cave first.

"-phiroth. My dear, dear child. Ever since he was born I never got to hold him, even once. Not even once. You can't call me his mother… That… is my sin…" I heard the voice of a woman, Lucrecia most likely. She sounded so sorrowful, so pained.

Glancing into the chamber, I saw Vincent standing before an altar of crystal where a woman who looked undeniably like Sephiroth stood except her hair was brown. Vincent took a step towards her, obviously intent to offer comfort but his advance was rejected.

"Back! Stay back!" Lucrecia cried, the light of the crystal behind her intensifying. "Won't you please tell me?"

"…What?" Vincent's voice was full of hesitancy.

"Is Sephiroth still alive? I heard he died five years ago but I see him in my dreams so often. And I know that physically, like myself, he can't die so easily. Please, tell me."

I stepped into the chamber then, causing Vincent to turn to stare at me for a moment. Behind me there was a bit of shuffling as Kunsel and Yuffie joined us also.

"Lucrecia…" Vincent said as he turned back to her. "Sephiroth is dead."

"Then why do I hear him still?" Lucrecia asked as she lowered her head. "Why do I still hear my baby screaming?" The light from the crystal behind her intensified to a blinding point then before dying down and she was gone.

"She knows Vincent." My words broke the silence as he turned to exit the cave.

"It won't matter much longer. Better to tell her he's dead than a puppet to Jenova that is being used to destroy the planet."

"Not everyone wants to be protected by such means!" I spat venomously. "And I bet she didn't like the notion of being protected by such means either!"

Vincent stared at me a moment longer before turning back towards the exit. "He'll be dead soon enough." He walked away without another word and I bit down the urge to scream as the three of us followed him out of the cave and back to the Highwind where he boarded without saying a word to anyone.

Everyone seemed to notice Vincent's mood and decided as one that sticking around here would not be a good idea. Thus we all began to climb up to the airship though Tifa and Aeris insisted upon going last. After all we had been through they hadn't yet learned that skirts weren't the best thing to wear when you can anticipate climbing ropes, walls, and running through battlefields.

Vincent was already in the planning room when the rest of us arrived and he didn't once look up as the rest of us piled in and took seats.

Cid decided to be the one to take the lead on briefing this particular mission.

"Alright ladies, here's the deal. Shinra is goin' to try to launch the last Huge Materia at Meteor usin' my rocket. The team selected for boarding the rocket is me, Kunsel, Cait Sith, and Rachas. We board, take the materia, and from there get out. The job of everyone else is to cover for us on the ground, keep the troops away."

"Why not grab the materia before it's loaded?" Yuffie asked.

"Cause that's when a trap is most likely," Kunsel replied. "We'll be cutting it close to the launch by entering just thirty minutes before it's scheduled. But that is also when security should be at the least. Everyone would be evacuating."

Yuffie "Oh"-ed and nodded at the logic of the plan.

Kunsel and Cid went over various points we should know with Cait agreeing to send a message to Reeve about any possible codes while I decided to check for any sort of powder that I might be able to use to check for fingerprints since I doubted the pass code would be the super simple one from the game. Maybe I could use foresight on it.

We broke off the meeting shortly after and everyone in their own way began to prep for the mission. Tifa checked her fighting gloves and made sure they were ready. Barret checked his ammunition levels. Kunsel, Zack, and Cloud all started to work on their swords.

I first rummaged through my pack and made sure there was a bottle of water and food in there. Also thrown in were two hi-potions, two turbo ethers, and for some reason or another, the notebook I had started for Aeris. After that I went through the ship, soon finding a compact I could use for dusting for fingerprints. My screwdriver also stayed in me pack. Once I felt that I had everything I may need, I strolled out to the deck of the ship and probably gave a number of people both in the Highwind and on the ground heart attacks as I summoned Leviathan several times, pushing as much magic as I dared into the materia. Leviathan at least viewed it as a game and splashed around the lake whenever she was summoned.

Everything was peaceful at the moment, but as my eyes settled back on the lake, they also eventually found their way to Lucrecia's cave. She knew her son was suffering and the man she had loved enough to defy Hojo and save had told her that he was dead. Maybe Vincent saw it as a kindness but I'm pretty sure she didn't. I already knew that unless something very profound happened during our final battle Sephiroth would never truly be free. So long as Jenova existed within him, a part of him would always be in thrall of her and unfortunately that part was a large part of him.

I might not be able to save the man he once was seeing as how he was already dead, but was there something Aeris and I could do to free him?


	46. Chapter 46

Saria: BAHAMAS!

Zas: (running for the beach)

Tori: Pretty waters…

SA: Why the hell did you bring us here in AUGUST?! This is where you come when it is COLD!

Saria: I think you're the only one who cares.

zzzzzzzzzz

The Highwind didn't leave the lake immediately, most of the crew and AVALANCHE choosing to disembark after the meeting so they could relax for a few hours. The antics of Leviathan and me caused more than a few yells from people as they were soaked by the waves. The cook however wanted us to keep it up when he realized we were stirring up fish that he hadn't been able to catch.

Aeris came down and started to practice her Jedi skills right before noon and I observed her going through Levitation and meditation before pulling out the scroll for Great Gospel. Seeing that reminded me of Tifa's final limit break but I seriously doubted she would be up for a trip to Nibelheim after what we had seen there. At this point Aeris, Yuffie, Red, and Barret should all have their final limit breaks, Cloud's would be in Gold Saucer, Cid's was in the Gelnika, Cait didn't have one, and Vincent could obtain his by visiting here again. Zack should already have his limit breaks, I really didn't seem to have any, and Kunsel… Maybe I should meditate on this.

My lack of limit breaks could be explained in that I rarely used my own energy in a fight with the exception of magic. Because I was always drawing on the Planet's energy I guess I could say that I just had my powerful moments when my emotions lashed out but it could never be described as a limit break. Nobody else had to know that of course.

Sighing, I raised the summoned Leviathan once more and the water serpent manifested from the water with a large splash. She twisted over the water into an intricate knot, the water below her twisting also into a large wave that crashed down on the shore spectacularly. No one was in that particular area so there were no unhappy yells or shrieks from soaked people.

Feeling a drained, I decided to take a break from summoning and glanced along the shore. Red was near Aeris now, a scroll before him that must be Cosmo Memory while Yuffie and Kunsel were skipping rocks nearby. The cook was picking along where Leviathan's most recent wave had crashed down and various members of the crew were walking along the shore.

Turning back to the ship, I climbed the ladder to the deck and found Tifa and Cloud gazing out at the lake, talking quietly. Stepping softly to the door so I didn't bother them, I descended into the ship quickly.

Cait Sith and Cid were on the bridge when I arrived there, both discussing the route we should take to Rocket Town and whether we should head there today or tomorrow. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed Cait's speaking patterns, Reeve was in control!

"It's been a while," I announced as I stepped onto the deck, drawing the attention of both.

"A while what?" Cid demanded with slightly narrowed eyes while Cait/Reeve offered the cat version of a smile.

"You catch on to me too quickly," he stated in his normal voice.

Cid groaned when he realized what this meant. "So I was talkin' to the exec? Damn."

"Maybe Rachas can offer some insight over whether we should move today or tomorrow and where we might be best situated for a strike."

Cid rolled his eyes but indicated the map before them. "I think we should head north and make the strike from over water. We can stay low and harder to notice."

"In turn I feel we should head closer to Nibelheim, it would provide cover for us even if the location may be sensitive to Cloud and Tifa."

I stared at the map myself for a moment before nodding towards Reeve. "I have to agree with you, Nibelheim seems the better location."

"Typical lovebirds," Cid spat.

"No, there are several reasons. In Nibelheim we'd be out of the way of any last minute transfers whether they are by air or water. Also, when they evacuate the sight will they be more likely to head to the mountains or the sea? I personally think it will be the sea they head to and the mountains will cover us for longer, possibly even allowing us to completely avoid a confrontation."

Cid made a face but didn't argue.

"We both just agreed that we should head out today, so should we call in the rest of the crew?" Reeve asked.

"Shit, no point stayin' here, let's get the slackers up here," Cid replied as he headed for the door.

We both watched him leave before turning back to one another.

"You finally had a safe moment to sign on?" I asked.

The robot nodded. "I drove out to Kalm under the guise of checking the water treatment plant they recently had built to see if it would be compatible for what we may need in Midgar as well as check on some of the relocated refugees."

"Going a bit far," I teased slightly.

"Yes, I only went all the way to Gold Saucer to meet you," he returned and I could feel the smile he most likely wore.

I smiled myself. "How are things in Midgar anyway? We've been moving around so much that it's hard to keep up."

"Rufus has started a huge construction project after discovering that there is a huge barrier protecting Sephiroth in the North Crater. Little by little he seems to be cutting himself off from the rest of the world and grows suspicious of everyone."

"Paranoia is all that awaits people at the top who use treachery to get there," I replied as I turned and headed for the door. "We're by a beautiful lake right now; would you like to see it?"

We walked through the ship and up the stairs leading to the deck as various crew and AVALANCHE members descended from the deck and prepared for take-off. Our conversation covered our various activities since Reeve had last taken charge of Cait Sith.

"I visited my mother. She and Denzel seem to be doing well, they even found Denzel's mother." I grinned at the news though it wasn't new as we climbed the steps. "She made me a replacement handkerchief for the one I gave you."

"Was she angry at you giving yours away?"

"No, she seemed to realize I gave it to someone I consider special." A blush raced across my face as I pushed open the door of the deck and found Tifa and Cloud still on deck. I guided Reeve/Cait further down from them so we'd both have a degree of privacy.

Reeve seemed to like the view of the lake and as we waited for Kunsel to finish helping the cook bring to fish he'd acquired onboard I told him about some of the happenings that had occurred recently. He wanted details of what had happened in Mideel and I made sure to assure him as well as I could that everyone seemed fine afterwards. He already knew about Fort Condor but wanted to know if there was anything that could be done for the people there aside from insuring that Shinra had no further interest in them. He was fascinated about what I had been up to the day before and was impressed with the hilt.

"What do you plan to do when this is over?" Reeve's question caught me a bit off guard.

"When this is all over?" I had planned to march back to Banora, kick the Goddess doors open, and force her to send me back to Earth. Currently though I didn't think I could leave as suddenly as that. There would be Geostigma to deal with and I would have to stay for a while to at least insure Aeris could cure it as well as get her as far along in her training as I could. Maybe even help set things in motion for getting Gaia back on its feet. "There's going to be a lot to do, I think we'll all be keeping very busy for a while."

"I know your home is gone so perhaps you would consider staying. I have very comfortable houses and would be happy to let you stay until you feel you've found something."

My throat tightened a bit as I stared out at the lake, unable to meet Cait's robotic eyes at the moment. "I'll think about it," I promised and found that I did mean it.

"Cait Sith indicates you think of the future when this is done, so I want you to know that there is something you can fall back on even if it takes a while to recover your feet." Cait/Reeve's paw touched my hand gently and I found myself staring at him slightly. The last time someone had said anything even remotely like that had been my grandfather after I was kicked out by my parents.

"Thanks," I replied faintly before a handful of fish was shoved into my arms by Cid who was apparently helping Kunsel and the cook now.

"Okay lovebirds, everyone help by gettin' these to the galley!" Cid yelled as he slung a fish at Cloud and Tifa.

"Couldn't warn people, could you?" I demanded as Cait/Reeve's mog took several of the fish from me and we both headed for the door.

"Y'all would have run if I did!" Cid declared as he tossed several more fish into Tifa and Cloud's arms before Kunsel and the cook appeared over the rail of the ship.

The lot of us hauled the fish down to the galley where the cook quickly threw them into the ship's freezer.

"We'll be eatin' good tonight and tomorrow!" he announced with a grin.

I wrinkled my nose a bit. No matter how much dried food I had eaten already I was still no fan of fish, fresh or not. Looks like I'd be eating sides and/or my leftover rations tonight.

There was no meeting to cover where we were headed though Tifa and Cloud both rounded on Cid the moment they found out where they were headed. I made it a point that that night I would go to Nibelheim and recover Tifa's limit break and the letter from her mentor.

Cait/Reeve and I continued to talk for several hours as we walked through the Highwind, eventually making our way to the deck again.

"Are you going to be ready for the mission tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Packed already with everything I think might come in handy. I can pick most locks so I included powder for fingerprint dusting just in case. I'll have my weapons and I did read several of the schematics while there previously. We should be fine so long as those people we ran into in Junon don't show up."

"Will you be carrying Cait Sith then?"

"Most likely. Kunsel and Cid are better fighters, I'm pretty sure we'll be the brains of the outfit in regards to engineering so it's best to keep their hands free."

Cait/Reeve laughed. "I feel better knowing that. It's good you have that mind set though. Most women that surround me are ones that think men should carry everything, fighters or not. Aren't you afraid though? So close to launch and Rufus doesn't regard your life as worth very much. He might let them launch the rocket with all of us in it."

"There's an escape pod," I assured with a smile.

"Is there anything you're afraid of?"

"Spiders. Cockroaches. Clowns," I listed with a smile and Cait/Reeve laughed at the last one.

"Hey, clowns are creepy!" I defended. "They're pale as corpses, their mouths are painted red, making their yellow teeth stand out as they grin at you, like it's surrounded by the blood of the last person they ate…" Cait/Reeve seemed to almost quake with mirth now.

"Alright mister, if my fears are so funny then what are some of yours?"

Cait/Reeve took a few moments to calm down. "I will admit certain distaste for spiders as well; Behemoths also make the list as well as the color orange."

I was the one suppressing laughter this time. "Well, I can't say I'm fond of orange either though I'm not afraid of it."

As the Highwind continued across the land, I finally took note of the time then realized how late it had to be getting where Reeve was. We were definitely on opposite sides of the planet now and since it was mid-to-late afternoon here, it should be very early morning where he was.

"So, what are you doing tomorrow?" I asked as a way of giving him an opportunity to leave if he needed.

"I'll have to return to Midgar. Rufus wants all executives there that aren't directly involved in the launch to be present." He seemed to notice the time for the first time then. "I'm sorry, but I need to go now."

We said our goodbyes then he signed off. After he was gone I headed down to the showers designated for the women. I stank like fish right then and was eager to have a bath.

The Highwind set down several miles outside of Nibelheim shortly after I left the shower and Cloud and Tifa's moods both seemed to nose-dive.

The ship reeked of fish that night and I jumped overboard to escape the fumes, taking my pack with me so I could eat my dinner of dried rations in peace.

As night began to fall, I pulled my green jacket on and began to trek up to Nibelheim while weaving my nets of disinterest around me just to be safe.

No monsters disturbed me during my trek and the few people that milled around paid me no mind. A glance in the direction of the bone pit showed that the disturbance caused by our group as we had passed through had been raked over and flattened, but I could feel that the bones hadn't been moved.

I crept into Tifa's old house then and walked up to her room, keeping an ear out for anyone who might be lurking about. Tiptoeing over to the piano, I checked around for the sheet music and quickly found the letter as well as a thin book that it was taped to that was labeled Final Heaven.

Picking them up, I shoved them into the side pocket of my cargos and began to make my way back to the door. Right before I could exit the house, a whisper from the planet caused me to freeze then I pushed myself to the side of the door and wove my net thicker before glancing out of the window.

There were relatively few lights in Nibelheim and the seemingly sleepy town got dark quickly. It wasn't so dark though that I couldn't see the figures in lab coats that were trooping from the direction of the Shinra Mansion.

Seeing no cameras or guards, I walked out the door and quietly approached the group, relying on my nets to prevent them from noticing anything weird. All of the people were indeed wearing lab coats and I was certain I recognized several of them from the labs in Midgar.

"Can't believe," one of them muttered to the others as they approached the inn. "The world could be ending and the Professor wants us to dig through the ashes for whatever may be left in that basement! I swear, I'll never get the ash out of my hair and throat!"

Another swatted him and it wasn't in a playful manner. "Just shut up. Whatever was down there was important, possibly necessary to save the world. No complaining until we determine that it either is or was useless."

"Who the hell was Crescent anyway?" the first demanded.

Yet another spoke up. "She was a nutcase. I read her thesis on Omega and Chaos; utter rubbish is what Professor Hojo called it."

The first groaned loudly as he grabbed the doorknob to the inn. "Great, a goose chase for the work of a crackpot!"

'Hojo was the only crackpot,' I thought as they entered the inn. Lucrecia Crescent was decent in my book since her heart had been in the right place as far as I could tell from her notes. Still though, why was Hojo interested in her now if he viewed her research as rubbish?

That thought occupied me all the way back to the Highwind as I thought of what I knew that could be associated with Omega. It was commonly translated as "the end" when associated with a godly being. As for Chaos, well I knew that Lucrecia had placed him in Vincent in order to save his life according to her notes. So, it was probably safe to say that Omega was a very powerful being with some ability for bringing about an "end". I couldn't imagine Hojo doing anything even remotely positive with anything like that.

It had taken me just over an hour to hike up to Nibelheim and back so I hadn't been missed.

I left the note and book for Tifa on the deck of the Highwind, hoping that she would think Zangan just randomly found her, before heading into the ship. The reek of fish had subsided to slightly more tolerable levels but I still made my way to my cabin quickly and opened the window to allow in the cool night air.

Pulling out the notebook and a pen, I began to write about Jedi abilities again. This time I focused on using the power to direct your mind to where you could find people or things and Foresight. Both of these subjects were again tricky to write about since you couldn't be very exact with them. There was one very firm warning though for both of these abilities: don't lose track of yourself. Dwelling on the future could cause you to forget to live presently and drifting around the planet could cause you to forget that you have a separate body that wasn't a part of it yet.

As I was starting to write about using the power to direct your movements while in fights someone knocked on the door. Shoving the notebook back into my pack, I walked the two steps to the door and tugged it open. Barret was on the other side, a book in hand.

"Hey Barret, what do you have there?"

Barret held up the book so I could read the cover. Guide Book. "Can't get this thing to open so thought you might be able to think of what to do with it."

I accepted the book as he shoved it into my hands then.

"I'll see what I can do with it," I replied even as I wondered how the hell I was going to get to Kalm. Sensing something else coming from Barret, I asked, "Anything else I can do for you?"

Barret shuffled for a moment before answering.

"Umm… You and Aeris can check people, right? Even across the planet? Could'ya check Marlene?"

"Easily," I reassured Barret as I walked back into my room and set the book down on the desk then took a seat on my bed. "This'll only take a few moments."

Closing my eyes, I let go of my body and directed the Lifestream to let me see Kalm with Marlene as the main focus. I found her easily enough. It was mid-morning there and she was out and about with Jessie. Apparently they had stumbled upon my grandfather's "grave" by accident and decided that Kaze was too irregular of a name for him not to be a relation. They were setting flowers before the marker.

"She's doing well," I reported to Barret. "She and Jessie are walking around Kalm currently."

Barret nodded as I opened my eyes and excused himself from the room.

Glancing at my watch I decided to turn in also. Though I didn't need to get up early tomorrow, it was probably a good idea to be well rested and I didn't think I would be able to sleep peacefully.

_**Rocket Town**_

Rude stared up at the rocket before them with a grimace as Palmer waddled around, trying to appear important. The engineers and crew for the rocket had been more than happy to help get the rocket straightened up and ready for a launch. Surprisingly, aside from setting the rocket straight very little work was needed.

Currently he was heading security and keeping the Huge Materia under heavy guard until it could be loaded into the rocket, a moment that Rude found he greatly anticipated.

He didn't like to admit it but Rude was afraid of what was above them. He was terrified of what could happen if this insane plan didn't work. He was also loathe to admit that he was starting to see some of AVALANCHE's points. The planet was in danger and not just from Meteor. He wasn't too sure how mako factored into all of this but too many parties viewed it as important.

Rude glanced around the house once again, not too sure how secure this place was, especially from that Ancient. He was wearier of that one more than ever after the display that occurred in Junon. Most would have viewed her running away as a sign she could be defeated, but he had seen some of the things she had done through the recordings. Remaining unnoticed for hours despite many checkpoints, throwing all those carts, doors, and guns, causing pain without visibly doing anything. That Ancient was dangerous and she was against them.

That Strife and Fair had survived the events of the North Crater only added fuel to the fire. No one should have been able to survive those occurrences yet those two weren't showing any visible signs of poisoning or difficulty in movement if the events in the Junon Reactor were anything to go on. It was times like this that he really wished they still had a number of their old people rather than having so many "retired".

"Hey-ey!" a grating voice called out from the door of the house he currently occupied with the Huge Materia. Walking into the next room, he found Palmer at the door as he followed one of the engineers, Shera if he remembered correctly. "Shera's makin' tea!" Palmer declared in a sing-song voice. "I want mine with honey, sugar, and lard of course!"

Rude internally winced at the thought of the disgusting concoction but didn't allow any of his true feelings to show.

Shera on the other hand moved quietly into the kitchen where she started boiling the water for the tea.

"Any-way," Palmer continued. "The container for the Huge Materia was just installed and is ready for you! The code is-"

Rude made a gesture to cut him off. He wasn't sure about Shera's loyalties but he didn't want the woman knowing just in case.

Palmer seemed to pout as he waddled away from Rude to stand behind Shera in the kitchen much to Rude's relief. Though he wasn't as bad as Heidegger or Scarlet, he still didn't like that particular man.

_**Normal**_

I was right about not sleeping soundly that night. Many times I woke up, turned over, and fell asleep again only to awaken minutes later. Counting sheep was useless since I started to see little rockets. At one point I actually got up and went to get a cup of water only to run into Cid who apparently had the same idea.

"Excited?" I asked as we both filled our cups.

"Yeah, been dreaming of goin' to space most of my life and after tomorrow that might be impossible." Cid sat heavily at one of the tables in the mess hall and stared at his cup. "Fuck, might lose everything tomorrow."

"If it's any consolation, I've dreamed of space since I was little as well."

Cid shook his head a bit and laughed but it was a hollow sound. "Almost had my dream and then it keeps gettin' pulled out from under me. Then Shinra took the sky when they took this ship."

"They've taken my plane as well, and if they have a chance they'll take my freedom," I replied as I sat across from him right as I realized something: this was technically the first civil conversation Cid and I had ever had.

Cid must have realized it too. "How is it two people with similar passions can find each other so fucking…"

"Irritating?" I supplied when Cid seemed to have trouble finding a word. At his nod I shrugged. "Maybe because we both have very strong personalities, are obstinate, and have views on the world that collide. However we both also understand what it's like to have something we view as so precious taken away."

Cid shook his head as he sipped his water but I think we reached a level of understanding right then. I returned to my cabin for the rest of the night and managed to get several more hours of sleep before rising at mid-morning.

That day was sluggish with the exception of the fit Tifa threw when one of the crew members brought the note and book from the deck. She was determined to try to search the woods to find Zangan if he were still in the area. What stopped her was the Highwind taking off.

We skirted around Nibelheim and into the mountains, keeping low to avoid notice. It was slow going and we had several close calls but we managed. I used the time to review my pack once more before trying to work out a way for me to carry Cait Sith without anyone noticing the doll. The answer was pretty easy; Cait would just roll into a ball that could fit into my pack until we were inside the rocket. Once we were finished he would go right back into the space before we left the rocket.

Five in the evening rolled about and the cook fussed as he tried to force everyone to eat some last minute carbs for energy. My heartbeat was starting to pick up as each minute passed.

"Alright everyone, this is the plan!" Cid yelled as six o'clock finally came. "We'll be flying the Highwind as close to the rocket as we can. After we are dropped then they'll take the ship outside of the town. Ground covers the rocket team both as they enter the rocket until they exit."

"Don't get too close to the rocket," I called out, catching everyone's attention. "Shinra might launch that rocket with us inside it rather than risk losing what they might view as their chance to stop Meteor."

Cid blinked for a moment then nodded. "Okay, so try to stay out of the blast radius until everyone is out."

The Highwind was less than five minutes from Nibelheim at this point so we all gathered onto the deck for the final few minutes. Kunsel, Cloud, Vincent, and Zack didn't bother with safety lines while the rest of us prepared to repel to the ground. We would be moving as fast as we could and parachutes would just make us targets.

At twenty-five past the hour Cid issued the order to start the charge and the Highwind curved around the last mountain which we had been using as a shield. In the distance we saw a number of helicopters flying away from the rocket meaning the general evacuation of the troops had been issued.

The Highwind accelerated fast then and the wind stung my eyes as I tried to focus on the quickly approaching town and the straightened rocket.

A small paw touched my hand then and I turned and gave Cait a smile before scooping him up and helping him settle into my pack, the little robot curling himself tightly into a ball.

Moments after I had situated the pack on my back, Zack gave a war cry as he leaped overboard followed by a much quieter Cloud, Kunsel, and Vincent. The rest of us followed as the Highwind momentarily slowed down, our lines snapping tight as we descended to the ground.

There were hardly any guards whatsoever, so few in fact that by the time the rest of us were on the ground Zack and Vincent had already dealt with them all.

Cait Sith's extra weight wasn't any worse than my pack normally was so it was easy to keep my normal pace as I followed Cid and Kunsel to the rocket. Kunsel got there first and easily started climbing the ladder, I followed, and then came Cid. Four minutes after the mission started found us facing Rude and several MPs on the loading pad to the rocket.

Rude did not look at all surprised by our appearance. "You again?" he demanded, his shaded eyes scanning each of us. "We will eliminate everyone who get's in Shinra's way."

"An we're here to stop ya from makin' a bigger mess!" Cid declared as he pulled out his spear, Kunsel drew his sword, and I palmed my tantō.

The two guards stood by Rude and I surprised everyone by making the first move that day. I rushed one of the MPs using the speed skill and smacked him hard in the throat with my knuckles. The man went down instantly, visibly gasping for breath as Kunsel attacked Rude and the second MP was thrown off the platform due to a blow from Cid's spear.

Rude wasn't a pushover though. He managed to dodge Kunsel's attack before aiming a punch at his head. I managed to give Kunsel a Jedi push that got him out of the way and Rude's punch missed widely. Cid attempted to bring his spear to bear then on Rude but with so little space he had to be mindful of the rest of us.

Rude turned on Cid next and attempted to punch him only for Kunsel to manage to weave between them, sword at the ready. Seeing an opportunity, I pushed forward and kicked hard at the back of Rude's knee, forcing it to collapse.

Seeing as he could no longer turn quite well Rude punched the gangway, causing it shudder violently. Cid stumbled hard as he tried to bring his spear to bear again then threw his arms up high as Kunsel stumbled slightly then took a guard position in front of him and swung hard.

Rude made a strangled noise right as Kunsel smacked him upside the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking the man senseless.

"We've no time for this!" Kunsel ordered as he pushed Cid and me towards the ship. Cid easily disposed of the guard in the ship with a strike from his spear and I pulled Cait from my pack.

"The cockpit!" Cid yelled when we heard muffled voices from the other side of a closed door. He rushed forward first and threw open the door then stared into the room as though in shock before running in. "What the hell're you guys doin'?"

The three technicians jumped and spun around as Cait Sith shifted so that he was behind my legs, thus shielded from their view.

"Hey Captain! Just when I thought somethin' was goin' on, you come back!" the man on the left declared with a grin when he realized who it was that had yelled.

The one on the right stepped up next. "Listen Captain, we're going to launch this rocket!"

"I know what Shinra's planning!" Cid responded, anger tinting his tone.

"So you know about the materia bomb we're going to use to blow up Meteor?" the last guy asked, his tone full of excitement.

"Our rocket's gonna save the planet!" the first declared joyously.

"Man this is cool!" the last one looked positively giddy now.

"No it's not!" I declared and took a step forward only for Cid to raise a hand to indicate he'd take care of this.

"Just shut the hell up!" he ordered and I made a note to give him a hard kick later though he was the one who needed to deal with this.

Cid turned back to his men then. "How's the rocket?"

"Pretty much okay."

"But…"

"We planned to run it into Meteor on autopilot but the most important device is broken."

Cid turned towards me then and I shrugged. "Give me a schematic and I might-"

One of the men tossed the autopilot manual to me and I began to leaf through as Cid and his men continued their conversation. Autopilots on general airplanes were very simple, the invention itself dating back to either the 1910-1920's and just being simple connections between gyroscopic heading indicators and attitude indicators. They had evolved quite a bit since then but I seriously doubted I would be dealing with an inertial guidance system. I was a little in the dark about rocket autopilots but it seemed they should follow the same principles.

"How is this instrument broken?" I asked once I had located what I believed to be the device they were talking about.

"Can you help Shera?" one of the men asked. "She said it could be fixed but that it would take time."

"Shera's ass is too slow. If she says it'll take time then Meteor will already be here before she's done!" Cid yelled and I slapped him with the manual.

"She's doing her best! You should be thankful she's put up with your crap for so long!" I yelled at him. "Unless she's changing out this thing with a replacement then there is no way this thing could be fixed in time."

"Shit!" Cid yelled as he rubbed his shoulder where I had smacked him. "Ain't got time for this! I'll take over so don't worry about the autopilot!" His men stiffened slightly, shock on their faces. "Well, get goin! Tell everyone!"

"Alright Captain, good luck," the first man replied as he nodded to his leader then headed for the door. Neither he nor the other two looked happy but they did have a very recognizable glint of respect in their eyes.

Kunsel stepped away from the door and allowed them all out before he turned to Cid as well. "Why did you tell them that?"

"The materia contain too much knowledge and power to throw away like this," Cait added as he stepped out from behind me.

"I already know! Materia is precious and all that you're saying and thinkin'. But listen." Cid's face was lined with seriousness that I had never seen before and from Kunsel's expression, neither had he. "I don't give a rat's ass whether it's science or magical power. Humans who used to only roam around on the ground are able to fly now! And finally, we're about to go into outer space." His eyes sought mine now, obviously looking for back-up. I nodded slightly. "Science is a "Power" created and developed by humans. And science might be what saves this planet. I was able to earn my living thanks to science. So to me, there's nothing greater."

He looked over us again but this time I didn't wholly agree. But then again, I had met a Goddess at this point. Science was important to me but magic proved itself many times more powerful. "Now quit you worrying 'bout what Shinra's gonna do! I don't want to regret not havin' done something later."

Kunsel actually laughed slightly as did Cait Sith and I. "Didn't realize you were so sentimental," the swordsman teased.

Cid grinned in turn. "Alright, time to get to work! Rachas head down to Shera and see if ya can help, the rest of us will…" Cid trailed off as sudden noise filled the cockpit and the interior began to vibrate madly.

"What the… What the hell is happening?!" Cid yelled as I shoved my way into one of the seats before the controls and set Cait on my lap. There was no seatbelt available so I grabbed the side of the seat instead.

Cid managed to shove himself into the other seat as the vibrating became full on jolts and stared at the controls.

"Hey-HEY!" a sing-song voice called that belonged to none other than a certain lard-ball.

"PALMER!" Cid snarled as his hand found the transceiver. "What the hell did'ya do?"

"They said they finished repairing the autopilot. So, I laun-ched it!" The lard-ball sounded like a smug adult speaking to a child.

"Goddamn Shera! Why'd she pick today to get fast?" Despite the jolting environment, I was able to aim well enough to hit him again with the manual I still held. "OW! Rachas stop fuckin' hitting me!" He tried the controls then and cursed. "Damn, won't even budge!"

Cid must have had his finger still on the transmit button because Palmer laughed. "Hey-hey-hey! Almost lift off!" A pause occurred then his voice came back, a hint of panic in his tone. "Wait-wait! The Ancient is in there?!"

"Hey, are you going to give us a countdown or what?" I responded.

"Eh… Umm… BLAST-OFF!"

The noise in the cockpit rose exponentially but throughout it I could faintly hear the fat man screaming about Hojo. Looks like Hojo had "fans" throughout all of Shinra's ranks.

The jolts and vibrations then became full on bucks then upward acceleration pressed me hard into the seat. Cid was yelling also as he was pressed into his seat. I couldn't see Kunsel, only hope that he was alright. Cait Sith felt like a large ball of lead in my lap and I couldn't budge him at all. The forces pressing on us were incredible and only seemed to increase as one minute passed, then two minutes, then they seemed to slowly alleviate and the jolting of the rocket smoothed out.

Cid managed to stand then and stared at the monitors before him. "I finally made it… outer space…" he murmured after a moment, right as all the force that had kept me seated seemed to dissipate.

I laughed as I floated into the air, zero-G finally taking effect. I know why the game didn't incorporate this, it would be difficult to control your characters through a true zero-G environment, but this was utterly fantastic!

"Whee!" Cait Sith shouted as he launched himself into the air before crashing into a wall. "Ow! This'll be tricky!"

"How's the course set?" Cid muttered from below and I saw he was anchoring himself using a hand on his seat. Kunsel was bobbing around at the back of the cabin, eyes wide. "Yup, it's headed for a collision with Meteor," Cid confirmed a moment later.

"Anything you can do?" Kunsel asked as he tried to swim towards a wall but ended up just drawing a laugh from me for his efforts.

"Shit, the damn Palmer went outta his way and locked the autopilot. We might not be able to change course."

"Then we can grab the Huge Materia and use the escape pod," I replied as I used my chair to launch myself at Kunsel, using a ricochet to send me to the ceiling and him to a wall. Cait Sith latched onto my jacket when I landed on the ceiling, obviously assuming his small size would make this environment difficult for him to navigate.

"Good to know you guys don't give up too quickly!" Cid responded as he turned himself towards a ladder on the side of the cockpit and launched off his chair towards it. I followed with Cait Sith clinging to my back while Kunsel walked himself to the ladder using his hands to keep a grip on the wall.

Getting to the chamber of the Huge Materia was an easy bounce for Cid and me, and as we floated towards the unit, I dug out the powder I had brought. Then I felt my mouth drop open when I saw the keypad. There wasn't four easy buttons. There were ten of them labeled 0-9 plus the enter button!

Raising the powder canister to right before the buttons, I blew gently to spread a small amount over the buttons then grinned when three buttons proved to have prints on them, one with obvious overlapping prints!

"Only have time to try several combinations," Cid informed me even as he grinned at the keypad. "Not too many combinations."

And if I remember right, the one button with two prints is the third and fourth part of the code which greatly simplifies things. Thank the Goddess for small favors!

"Like this!" Cid declared as he hit one of the numbers at random then the other three in no particular order. "Damn, didn't work."

There were just two possible combinations I could think of so I hammered out zero, seven, six, six. I was already about to try seven, zero, six, six when Cid declared "Got it!" as he yanked the materia from the container.

"Got what?" Kunsel demanded as he finally pulled himself up the ladder.

"The Huge Materia, now we head for the escape pod!"

"ARGH!" Kunsel yelled as he turned and dragged himself down the ladder.

"Man that was lucky, code like zero, seven, six, six. How'd you guess that Rachas?"

"Wasn't that former President Shinra's birth month and year?" Cait Sith piped up from my shoulder.

"Egomaniac," I muttered as we headed back down the ladder and out the exit for the cockpit. Both Cid and I easily passed Kunsel as he continued to try to hand walk his way around. Cid led the way down yet another ladder and into a hall that held the cylinders.

As Cid led the way again, I saw the cylinder begin to spark. "Look ou-"

BOOM!

"What happened?" Kunsel yelled from the ladder.

"Cylinder blew!" I called back before turning to see where Cid was.

Cid was pinned against the floor, a twisted piece of shrapnel having trapped him by digging into the wall and floor before and behind him. The fact he appeared okay was a miracle.

"Cid, you alright?" I asked as I tried to pull the metal off of him.

"M' fine," he responded then tried to pull himself free. "Leg's stuck."

The sharp metal cut into my hand after a particularly hard yank and I hissed as I withdrew my hand.

"Don't worry 'bout me, hurry and go," he ordered as Kunsel pulled himself into the hall and began to make his way over to where Cid was pinned. "If you guys don't hurry, the rocket'll smash into Meteor with you still onboard."

"We're not leaving without you," Kunsel told him as he took hold of a corner of the scrap himself and yanked.

Cid looked somewhat relieved. "You jackass… No time to worry 'bout other people."

"Says you," Cait called as I tried to focus with the power then discovered something distressing: it was absent here. Instead I reached back down and took a hold of the shrapnel again.

"You're stupid. You're really fucking stupid," Cid sounded depressed. "Tank number 8 blew up… So Tank number 8 really was malfunctioning. Shera, you were right…"

"You can tell her that yourself," I grunted as Kunsel pulled out his sword and wedged it under the metal, obviously hoping to bend the structure enough to free Cid. "As well as offer an apology of epic proportions!"

"You don't have to Cid," a voice called out as a door slid open and Shera floated into the hallway.

"Huh? Shera?" Cid's jaw unhinged at the sight of her.

"I tagged along when the others told me what you were doing," she explained as she floated over.

"You stupid fucking bitch!" Cid yelled but for once there was no rage in his voice, just desperation.

"Got it!" Kunsel yelled and Cid wrenched his leg free.

The former Shinra pilot stared at Shera for a moment before he turned his eyes down slightly. "…Sorry."

"No problem Captain," she replied before turning back towards the door and gently launching herself in that direction. "The escape pod is this way. Please hurry."

Kunsel still refused to try launching himself like the rest of us so we ended up waiting for him in the escape pod at the end of the hall. I managed to grab one of the seats by the window, these seats actually having seatbelts on them. Cait Sith climbed his way into my lap.

"I'll be detaching the pod, please get in," Shera called to Kunsel as he finally pulled himself into the pod.

"How can you guys enjoy this?" he demanded as he threw himself into the seat next to me and immediately buckled in.

"I think all of us have dreamed of this for most of our lives. We are also in careers that are very physics oriented," I stated. "How are the others going to find us?"

"Gave Drix and Ran the frequency for the tracker on this pod, just in case," Cid replied as he grabbed the other window seat across from me as Shera closed the pod. "It does work, don't it?" he asked Shera.

"I've been checking it until now, it should work fine."

"What about for atmospheric re-entry?" I asked as I realized I had no clue how this pod worked. I assumed it had limited maneuverability though I didn't know how it would slow down.

"Basic propulsion system for guidance and we'll use parachutes to slow down," she responded as she sat down as well and buckled up, Cid, Cait Sith, and I the only ones not restrained. A groan of machinery signaled the pod being jettisoned.

Both Cid and I were practically glued to the window at this point, both of us staring at the ocean of stars.

"So this is… outer space." Cid looked very thoughtful, happy yet strangely subdued. "I'm really in outer space."

"The stars look so different," I stated as I stared out also, trying to find one of the now familiar constellations of Gaia. Now that I also had a calm moment, I found that I could hear the songs of the stars again, not just Gaia. I focused as much as I could then, trying to feel something familiar in the various songs. It came slowly, a faint feeling that wasn't so much a song as a color, a muddy brown rather than the vibrant green of Gaia. In that moment I could feel Earth, so far away yet so close also.

"So long Shinra no. 26," Cid's voice echoed and Gaia entered view through the window. Seeing the approaching planet, I reached down and buckled the seatbelt, securing Cait Sith and me.

Gaia's voice rose to me as we returned to the planet, but I clung to the echo of Earth even as a part of me longed to let it go and cling to Gaia now. Absently I realized that my hand had reached into my jacket pocket and was gripping Reeve's handkerchief.

A comatose planet where I had grown up, dreamed, and tried to forge a place for myself. A Planet and a Goddess that welcomed me with open arms and where I was being offered a place. A life of work, disappointment, and triumphs that I made for myself. A new start at life on a Planet where I would probably be needed like I never would be on Earth. No matter which I chose at this point, I really was stuck between worlds.

_**Shinra**_

Palmer was panicking! He knew that Hojo, Scarlet, and Heidegger all had their minds set on having that Ancient for some reason or another and when they found out that she had been launched towards Meteor on that rocket it would be his ass that fried!

Maybe he still had a chance! If he didn't head back to Midgar and used what time he might have left until they found out to run he might be able to hide himself! Meteor was bound to be gone and with the other members of AVALANCHE and Sephiroth to deal with, he might be lost in the shuffle.

Yes, head either to Icicle Inn or… or… some nameless small town somewhere!

As Palmer stood to get moving, one of the monitoring officers called out to him.

"Sir! The rocket just sent the automatic signal that the escape pod had been deployed!"

Palmer froze for a moment before turning to the technician. "Hey-hey, you certain?"

The man nodded. "Definitely. Seems those onboard were able to escape. The beacon on the pod has already started transmitting and the computer calculates they should come down…" The tech paused to confirm something on the screen. "Pretty far out in the sea to the northeast of the East Continent."

Palmer almost skipped. There was still a chance for him not to be killed by those three psychopaths!

"Transmit the details and estimated location to Heidegger and the Peace Corps!" he ordered. Since they would be deploying from Midgar they should make it long before AVALANCHE should be able to reach their comrades! And if they got away, well it would be Heidegger's fault now, wouldn't it?

_**Normal**_

The pod heated up to uncomfortable temperatures during re-entry then cooled off fast as the chutes deployed. It was during this that I noticed we would be coming down into the ocean and the closest bit of land was a small island to the north of us.

Gathering some of the power of the Planet which had returned along with the atmosphere, I pushed us closer to the island to reduce my own anxiety. Cid on the other hand was cursing as he realized just how far we were from Rocket Town.

"Hell! It's gonna take at least a day for those asses to get here!" he exclaimed as we drifted closer and closer to the surface.

"Why a day?" Kunsel asked, he seemed visibly relieved about the return of gravity.

"Locator on this thing gives a general direction, they'll be chasin' a needle for a while," Cid replied. "Least we'll be able to make land."

I nodded as I glanced out the window then felt my mouth go dry when I saw the cave at the top of the island. We had fallen near the island where we could obtain Knights of the Round! Cid was right though, it was going to take a while until everyone else could come get us. Perfect time to practice some with Leviathan and get a new materia!


	47. Chapter 47

Tori: I'm hungry…

SA: Get used to it.

Tori: Why?

SA: (points out at where Saria and Zas are still jumping in the waves) Because those idiots are reaching borderline vegetarianism.

Saria: I found seaweed!

Zas: California rolls!

zzzzzzzzzz

_**AVALANCHE**_

Seeing the rocket blast off with their friends inside had been a horrifying moment for the majority of the members of AVALANCHE. The fiery blast created by ignition knocked all of them off of their feet and sent them tumbling.

"DAMNIT!" Barret roared at the sky where the trail of the rocket indicated the flight path of their friends.

Zack punched the wall of a nearby house, accidentally collapsing it but took no notice as he turned and hugged Aeris.

"They… they can't be…" Tifa murmured as she stared at the fiery trail also as the rocket continued its collision course with Meteor.

Vincent and Red were silent as Yuffie fell to her knees, tears marking her cheeks.

Cloud threw down his sword and slammed his fist into the dirt. "Damnit, I- I couldn't do anything! I was too weak…"

"You're not to blame," Tifa assured him when she saw his distress. "We knew this could happen."

"Yeah," Cloud admitted though the pain in his throat didn't ease any. "Rachas and Cait at least knew, they talked about it yesterday. Rachas… wasn't afraid…" Cloud's mind froze as he remembered the conversation he couldn't help but overhear. "Because she knew there was an ESCAPE POD!" he yelled the last two words and everyone jumped.

Everyone jumped at Cloud's yell as the blond swordsman jumped back to his feet and retrieved his sword.

"A what?" Tifa demanded as Cloud turned to head towards the Highwind.

"An escape pod! Rachas read through the rocket schematics while we were here before! She knows there's an escape pod and Cid would know that too!"

"Are you serious?!" Zack demanded as he and Aeris both followed Cloud, everyone else falling in behind them.

"Rachas and Cait Sith were talking about it yesterday! I heard her mention it! They could still make it out!"

"What're we waitin' for?" Barret demanded and surprised everyone by taking off in a loping run towards the airship, Yuffie hot on his heels.

Yuffie was first on the ship, using Barret as a spring board to pass him on the rope. She raced to the cockpit as everyone else finished pulling themselves back onboard. Cloud and Zack both ran after the mini-ninja as soon as they had insured Aeris, Tifa, and everyone else was onboard. They found her harassing the pilot and navigator.

"Why didn't you tell us that he left the beacon code for the escape pod?" she shouted as she reached for her shuriken.

"There wasn't time! The Captain didn't tell us until right before you guys left!"

"ERR!" Yuffie growled as the navigator took a step back.

Zack jumped forward to try to placate the girl. "Easy, we're all eager to see them safe," he told her as he tugged her away from the workstation while Cloud took a step forward.

"You have the frequency for a locator on the pod?" he confirmed to which the navigator nodded.

"As I told your friend, the Captain gave it to us right before he left."

"Any signal yet?"

The navigator shook his head as he continued to scan.

"Rachas is alive…" Aeris's voice floated from the doorway and drew both the attention of Cloud and Zack. "I can feel it."

Yuffie was upon her in a second. "What about the others? Kunsel, is he okay?"

"If Rachas is fine then it should be a certain thing that the others are fine," Cloud assured her before glancing at Aeris.

"The Planet can feel her also and tells me she is headed back to the Planet," Aeris admitted.

"It'll be a few minutes then until we get the locator signal," the navigator announced. "And chances are they won't be close."

"Just get going the moment you have a signal," Cloud instructed.

_**Normal**_

Landing was a splash, literally. And though I had tried to get us as close to the island as I could we were still a fair distance away, about a mile actually. Not too bad of a distance unless you try to swim it. Luckily there was survival gear in the pod and one of the included items was a life raft.

I shivered as we exited the pod and hopped into the life raft, especially when some of the water splashed me. Easy thing to forget when this is a game: the water here is bound to be COLD because of how far north you are. I won't be forgetting that anytime soon.

Shera was shivering also while Cid and Kunsel both tried to take the oars at the same time and started to argue. Cait Sith curled into my lap again and I hugged the miniature furry heat source as I called the power and started to gently push the raft towards the shore.

"I'll row first and get us close!" Kunsel insisted.

"I can easily handle this!" Cid argued as we drifted closer to the island.

"I don't think either are going to have to row," I informed them and indicated the approaching shoreline.

Cid and Kunsel stared for a moment before both sat down, each with one oar, and began to paddle haphazardly, splashing water everywhere.

"Hey!" I shouted as Shera yelped when some of the water hit her.

"Sorry!" both men shouted and smoothed out their paddling some.

It took almost fifteen minutes to reach the shore and when we did everyone clambered out. It had been evening in Rocket Town when we had been blasted off in the rocket; here it seemed to be mid-afternoon. It was already cool and an overcast layer was forming overhead.

"I'll make a shelter," Kunsel volunteered as he pulled the raft further up the beach and away from the water.

Cid grunted then moved to help him as Shera glanced around at the island.

"I'll look for food, would you look for some firewood Shera?" Shera nodded at my question and we both set off along a narrow, steep trail up the side of the island though we separated quickly.

There were few plants that looked edible here, most of the plant life being restricted to small, weathered trees that were no taller than me. The likelihood of finding some bananas or coconuts was non-existent.

There were several small animals running around though and I followed one trail that looked promising for some sort of food. Animals had to eat after all and if I could figure out what they ate and if it were safe for human consumption and there was enough of it then I wouldn't have to hunt.

My gamble paid off when I found some berry brambles that were thick with fruit. I pulled out an empty canteen and packed it with berries, mostly focusing on clustered berries that resembled blackberries and black and blue single berries. The Planet told me which ones were safe for consumption and those looked the most familiar.

Rounding the bushes, intent to try to take something more substantial back than some berries, I listened to the Planet whispering and heard a faint song, completely different from what I typically heard. I decided to check out the song just for some fun.

The echoes of the song led me to a cave and I realized that what I was hearing was the Knights of the Round materia where it currently lay! Grinning, I entered the cave, intent to collect the materia while I was here and save myself the trip later. What I found inside was a little shocking.

Before me stood the giant form of a man in stately white armor with a red cape who held his sword before him in a kingly fashion. Flanking him on both sides were six men, twelve in total, all wearing armor and capes as well, armed with everything from swords to axes to lances. The song I had been following flowed from somewhere behind them.

"Who are you?" the man in front ordered though his tone was courteous.

"Rachas Kaze."

"Why are you here?"

"Gaia is in trouble. I'm collecting everything I can use to arm my comrades and myself for when we fight the Calamity Jenova."

"So you wish to collect our summon then." That last statement was no question. "Is your name really Rachas young maiden?"

"Are you King Arthur?" My question was one that had bugged me since I first played FFVII and being able to get a direct answer was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

One of the men behind his leader bristled. "If you know his name and title then show the proper respect and answer him!"

King Arthur shushed his knight with a gesture. "I would be, now yourself?"

After a moment's hesitation I answered. "I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?" King Arthur's voice sounded humored. "If you cannot be honest then you won't be allowed to summon us."

"I can't tell anyone! If they find out where I'm from, or rather not from-" I cut off when King Arthur made a silencing gesture.

"So, like us you were brought here by a Goddess then?"

My brain temporarily short-circuited when I heard this news though I did manage to nod.

"Tell me then, where are you from?"

"Are you from Earth?"

Several of the knights shifted again though none spoke. King Arthur once again spoke for them all. "Indeed we are which seems to be where you are from as well. What are you doing here?"

I told them about how Jenova was threatening the destruction of the Planet, how she had taken control of Sephiroth's body and forced him to destroy while his mind screamed. I told them of Shinra and how they slowly killed the Planet by draining her life blood for money. I admitted how I was brought her by Minerva and allowed to choose my powers and how I chose to be made a Jedi Knight. All of the men including King Arthur listened politely as I continued with the tale of meeting up with everyone and the dangers we had gone through while trying to bring ourselves together to put a stop to Shinra and Jenova.

Everything was quiet when I had finished my story and the men seemed to think through what I had told them.

"So, a knight yourself?" King Arthur finally asked. "How can we believe someone who still won't say their name?"

"What is so important about names?" I demanded. "They're a label, something given to you by other people! They don't define you as a person! As for being a knight, I guess that would be up to Minerva to decide."

"A name is given to you by other people which is why I wish to know yours. What are you called by other people who judge you rather than what you think of yourself?"

I stared at the ground then, hating what I was going to admit then mumbled my response.

"You need to speak clearly."

"Christine." I said my name aloud for the first time in years.

The armored man nodded. "A good name."

"Will you help us now?"

King Arthur nodded. "We shall lend our power though I ask you pass our materia to another in your group."

He reached into a pouch by his side then and withdrew something which he tossed to me. It was far too small to be the materia and as I caught it I found myself staring at a crystal.

"For your sword, knight," he said before turning and extending his sword over a round podium behind him, his knights all gathering around the podium and extending their weapons as well.

"_This is the oath of a Knight of King Arthur's Round Table and should be for all of us to take to heart,"_ the king and his knights chanted. _"I will develop myself for the greater good. I will place character over riches, and concern for others over personal wealth. I will never boast but cherish humility instead. I will speak the truth at all times and forever keep my word. I will defend those who cannot defend themselves. I will uphold justice by being fair to all. I will be faithful in love and loyal in friendship. I will be generous to the poor and those who need help. I dedicate myself to courtesy and honor from this day forward!"_

As the oath ended a brilliant light shone from the podium and encompassed the forms of the thirteen men. It was so brilliant that I had to turn my eyes away and when I could look again all of them were gone. Instead, settled on the round podium was a brilliant materia that shined for several seconds longer then faded to the normal color of a summon.

Stepping towards the pedestal, feeling very unworthy, I picked up the materia and felt the rush of the thirteen legendary heroes. History on Earth always indicated that Camelot was legend as was King Arthur but it seems to me at this point that Minerva must have brought them here though for what purpose?

Much as I wanted to ignore King Arthur's request and keep the most powerful materia in my possession, I decided to do as he asked. And as tempting as it was to try to equip the materia I opted to place it into one of my cargo pockets.

Exiting the cave, I listened to the Planet again for a moment then found my way to a riverbed where cattails and dandelions grew. I had never eaten either though I knew you could and I was willing to bet if we got hungry they would be consumed.

During my trek back to the shore where everyone else should be, I started to think about who I should give Knight of the Round to. Aeris had Pheonix and Choco/Mog, Cid had Bahamut, Red had Alexander, Yuffie had Ifrit and Kjata, and Cloud had Titan. I should probably hand off Ramuh and possibly Neo Bahamut since I had Shiva and Leviathan. Barret never showed much proficiency in magic or the interest in getting better at it. Vincent seemed like a good match for Hades if we ever got that. Zack would probably do well with Ramuh since he was a relatively weak summon and Zack wasn't exactly Mr. Magic. Tifa could definitely be trusted with a high level summon but so could Kunsel and Cait Sith, and none of them had a summon just yet.

As I descended the hill to the shore and saw Kunsel on a ledge struggling with starting a fire, the weight of the materia rested against my leg once more and temptation burned through my veins as my throat went dry.

"Did'ya find anything lass?" Cait Sith asked, causing me to start slightly since I had not noticed him. Good old Cait Sith…

"A materia!" I responded as I yanked the summon from my pocket and shoved it into Cait Sith's paws. "You don't have a summon yet and this is a really good one!"

"What is it?" Cait asked as he rolled the materis slightly in his paws.

"Knights of the Round. I also found food for the rest of us."

"That's something I love to hear!" Cid called from where he was arranging the raft into a shelter using stones to weigh it down. Shera was nearby, her shoes off as she rubbed her feet.

The berries were received well enough by everyone in the party but the cattails and dandelions were treated with disdain by Cid. Shera didn't know either could be eaten but was willing to believe Kunsel and me as we reassured her that they were palatable.

I summoned Leviathan a few times then, being careful to aim direct her not to soak us with her waves. She seemed fine with that and skimmed happily over the waves as she twisted her long form into intricate knots, a performance that delighted Shera.

As the day began to darken into night we ended up having to abandon our initial camp and climb higher to escape the waves of the sea as the winds began to pick up. None of us had our sleeping bags or blankets we could use to keep warm so we eventually found ourselves all the way in the valley portion of the island, Kunsel and Cid having abandoned the raft some time before.

The berries were consumed soon enough but the cattails and dandelions were picked over a bit.

There were five of us that night and though we assured her it was not necessary, Shera insisted that she could take a turn at watch.

Watches were determined by drawing blades of grass, the longer the blade the later your watch. I drew the second watch then laid down on the sparse grass for some sleep.

I woke several minutes early for my shift in a cold sweat. The camp fire was a bit low and I saw that Shera, who had drawn the first shift, had drifted off.

"Hey," I whispered as I nudged her slightly and the woman sat upright almost instantly.

"I'm awake!" she said.

"Yeah, but you can go to sleep now, it's my shift."

Shera blinked for a few moments then bowed her head slightly to me. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize, just get some rest," I replied and the other woman nodded before lying down.

I threw a few branches onto the fire and stared at the growing blaze for a minute before thinking back to just before I woke. I had been dreaming of running from something and in the back of my head a very bad feeling arose. Shutting my eyes, I let the power of the Planet rush over me and directed it to let me see what was coming. What I saw caused me to jump up and pour my recently filled canteen over the fire and stomp out the remains.

"Kunsel!" I shook the man hard to get him moving.

"Wha-what?" the brunette former SOLDIER asked as he sat up. "Rachas?"

"We're about to have company!" I replied as I woke Shera and Cait.

"What?!" he demanded before turning and shaking Cid. "Get up!"

Cid just grunted and turned over, not waking.

"Do we need to move?" Shera asked as Kunsel tried again to get Cid up.

"Yeah, some seriously bad guys are coming this way. They won't hesitate to kill any of us!"

Cait jumped at my serious tone while Shera took a canteen she had borrowed from Cid and poured a bit of water into the still sleeping man's ear.

"FUCK! Shera, why'd you do that?" Cid yelped as he sat up while slapping his ear.

"Rachas says someone is coming," Kunsel informed him as he hauled Cid to his feet.

"So?" Cid demanded. "Girl probably just had a bad dream."

"I know the difference between a dream and what's not!"

"Let's just move to be safe," Kunsel said. "Anyone have an idea of where we could hide?"

Shera her head while I thought of the limited topography of this island. Aside from the Knight's cave there wasn't much aside from the berry bushes and some tall plants.

"There's a cave near here but it's not hidden at all."

"We can hide it then," Kunsel stated as he unsheathed his sword. "A few branches would be all it would take."

The lot of us headed for the cave then and Kunsel and I used our blades to cut some of the berry bushes which we dragged in front of the entrance of the cave then all of us waited.

An hour passed slowly and Cid began to yawn loudly.

"See, just a bad dream," he grumbled though he continued to vigilantly watch for anything weird outside of the cave.

"It wasn't a dream," I insisted as my heart began to race and the dread reached a new level of intensity. "They're almost here."

"Who?" Cid demanded. "The Highwind shouldn't be here for several more hours."

"And they won't be," I replied. "We need to stay quiet and hide as long as we can then run for the ship when they appear."

"Who is coming?" Kunsel asked patiently.

I stared at him for a moment, my fear probably evident on my face. "The people from Junon."

"Shit!" Cid declared only for Kunsel to slap a hand over his mouth.

Cait Sith hugged my leg while in the back of the cave Shera watched us in confusion. "Are they bad?" she asked quietly, correctly interpreting this was not a time to create much noise.

"They're dangerous," Kunsel confirmed to her.

Silence settled again as the four of us by the exit watched and listened intently for anything. Another hour dragged by and Cid threw himself back into the cave, disgust on his face.

"Dream," he said quietly as he gave me a pointed look right before a thrumping sound began to be heard. Cid's eyes widened as he shot to his feet and was back at the entrance.

"The ridge." Cait's whisper sounded insanely loud as we all looked towards the southern ridge where several lights were beginning to appear. They climbed up the ridge rapidly then the source cleared and the sound of propellers filled the air as the silhouettes of several people could be seen.

"Hell…" Cid whispered as we all stared.

_**Highwind**_

Aeris jolted awake as she felt a horrible sense of dread hit her. Calming herself as well as she could, she tried to clear her thoughts and figure out what was wrong. Whatever it was though wouldn't come to her so she got up, intent to find out how long it would be until they reached the others.

The ship corridors were mostly empty, only minimal crew at work at the moment while in the cockpit Zack was sitting with the pilot and navigator.

"Hey," he called when he saw here. "Why are you up?"

"I had a bad dream," she admitted as she moved to sit by him. "Any idea how much longer it'll take to get to them?"

Zack shook his head. "Ran said that they're just chasing a needle right now, nothing better than that."

"I'm worried."

"I know," Zack replied as gently wrapped his arm over her thin shoulders. "Have you tried checking on them through the Planet?"

Aeris blinked for a moment, surprised that such a simple idea had eluded her. "I can try. I'm still very new at this though."

"Rachas said you have talent in foresight, more so than her. Shouldn't this be easy also?"

Aeris shrugged before focusing her thoughts outward and feeling the Planet flow through her. Rachas and the others were still pretty far away but she could pick up one definite feeling from them: fear.

"Th-they're afraid. Something is happening to them Zack!"

Zack's eyes widened before he glanced over at Ran.

"It is a locator built by Shinra, they would have the frequency," the man admitted.

"Can you make this pile of bolts go faster?" Zack demanded.

"Only for a short period of time, we'd burn out the engines otherwise."

"Then do it!" Zack ordered as Aeris began to shake as another wave of fear hit her.

_**Normal**_

The figures that had descended the hill had drawn closer, spreading out over the island. They were now close enough that I could make out the blue lines on their bodysuits.

Inside the cave was so silent that we could hear reports being made by the troops that were still a ways off. We were aware of every shift outside, every boot as it scraped on the ground.

It took me a few minutes to remember, but I spread my nets of disinterest in a very thick and focused area in front of the cave. The aircraft they had brought had a spotlight that swung over the island little by little. It didn't take too long for them to find our small campsite.

"Footprints," I murmured as one of the troopers pointed at the ground and I felt Cid and Kunsel both tense then reach for their weapons.

"If we have to fight then Cid and I will take them on first. Rachas and Cait Sith will stay here and protect Shera," Kunsel ordered. The lot of us nodded before Kunsel's breath drew in sharply. Glancing out, I saw a woman in a silver/white suit that resembled a long coat wearing a headpiece and an eye patch with a sword in hand was leading a gaggle of troops along what had to be the path our feet had made. That must be Argento.

"They're really here," Kunsel whispered, his voice tight as his hand unsheathed his sword.

"I can prevent them from seeing us so don't do anything stupid," I hissed at him as I pushed my nets out and spread them to start mere feet in front of the woman and her troops.

She took several more steps before entering my field of influence and her eyes went foggy for a moment before she shook her head, obviously trying to clear it. The troops noticed this and stopped behind her, just clear of my nets.

"Where'd those prints go?" she demanded loudly and I could taste the confusion coming from the helmeted troops. One of them pointed at the ground and shined the light of his scope straight at the indents that I realized were our prints.

Argento followed the light but my net prevented her from seeing the prints. She instead chose to take several steps back, leaving my influence, and her eyes immediately focused on the prints she hadn't been able to see previously.

"Bizarre. This must be one of those abilities the Ancient is supposed to have." Turning, she directed one of the troopers to take several steps forward and try to follow our trail.

The man didn't hesitate, simply walked forward, scope light focused on the ground so he could see our prints. Realizing that the rest of them were focused on him, I shoved my nets further as they saw him momentarily freeze as my net forced him to lose sight of our prints.

"Get back here, you try," she ordered another trooper who looked to be a woman before freezing as she realized she couldn't see our prints yet again.

"Come out Ancient!" she ordered as her eyes turned in our general direction. "We know you're here, there will be no escape this time."

Cid's hand squeezed my shoulder then and I glanced over to see both he and Kunsel looked rather resolved. Glancing down, Cait Sith also looked pretty certain.

"Can you prevent them from noticing us for several moments?" Kunsel whispered.

"Yeah, though I don't know how long it'll last if you intend to fight them."

"Just do it," Cid said as he stepped up next to Kunsel.

"Bu-"

"We're going whether or not you do it. They already know where we are so we might as well take the fight to them and have a momentary advantage," Kunsel informed me as he reached up to pull down some of the branches.

Adjusting the nets to accommodate their intent, I crouched slightly as Cid and Kunsel stepped out.

Neither Argento nor her troops saw what happened as Kunsel and Cid jumped upon them, Kunsel's sword smashing the head of one of the four troopers before he turned to engage Argento. Cid managed to severely injure another one by slashing the blade of his spear deep into their gut.

Alarms rose around the island as the other troops on the island realized there was a fight going on.

Agitated, I watched as Cid managed to get the drop on one of his two opponents and skewered the man.

Kunsel on the other hand was having a very intense battle against Argento. She was easily as skilled as Zack with a sword and shared his strength. Kunsel was a bit faster though and was using that to his advantage. I watched as he wove around her and swung his lighter sword at her backside only for her to counter by bringing her sword behind her in a wide arc, knocking him momentarily off balance.

Cid finally finished his last opponent and brought his spear to bear on Argento before she could make a blow on Kunsel. He probably saved Kunsel's life right at that moment.

"More are coming," Shera whispered from next to me and I finally looked beyond the immediate fight and saw a nightmare on two legs that was named Azul. He was headed straight for the fight between Kunsel and Cid against Argento, a certain gleam in his eyes.

"They'll never survive if he joins," I whispered as my hands reached down and unbuckled my pack. I also removed Leviathan, my hilt, and the crystal given to me by King Arthur. "Watch these and protect Shera," I ordered Cait Sith as I handed them to him right as a realization hit me. It wasn't just Cid and Kunsel in danger here, if they were found then Shera and Cait Sith, and by extension Reeve, would all be in very serious danger.

"I can help!" Cait Sith protested as I drew my tantō and prepared my nets for my own charge.

"Stay here! I can't let you endanger yourselves!" I ordered more firmly than ever.

I was out of the cave a moment later, running at breakneck speed through my nets. All around me the world seemed to have slowed down almost to the point where everything was mired in thick mud, and the profoundly slow Azul almost looked to be holding still.

My nets didn't extend all the way out to where Azul was, but they got me pretty damn close and the giant just barely seemed to register my existence right before my tantō slammed into the flesh of his extended arm and was pulled, creating a deep cut along his forearm.

Azul's howl barely reached my ears as I continued my assault, for once never losing touch with the surrounding power. Azul's movements remained slow as he tried to punch at me with his uninjured arm and I stepped back to just outside his swing and slashed with my other tantō, digging deep into the meaty muscle of the man's bicep. My blow had a terrible result though as Azul's momentum pushed him farther along my blade than I intended and my blade exited through his shoulder.

Sickness invaded my stomach when I saw a long strip of Azul's flesh separate from his arm, the wound bleeding profusely. Azul on the other hand didn't seem to mind as he sent his previously injured arm at me in another punch.

Stepping back, I dodged his blow right as a shout reached my ears. Turning my head, I saw that Cid had just acquired a gash on his arm while Kunsel was just regaining his feet. Damn, how good was that woman?

"Gotcha!" a shout came and I turned in time to see Azul moving at normal speed as he launched his less injured arm at me again. I barely managed to jump back and realized in that moment that neither man would be able to help me currently. I arguably had the easier opponent since I was armed and faster than Azul. For once I needed to stop my opponent myself and then I might have to save them.

"Each of them shall die like the pathetic beings they are," Azul declared when he noticed my distraction.

Pain filled my chest at just the thought of anyone dying; every single person in AVALANCHE was precious to me! There was no more running away now, and no one to help me.

"You're the second person I have ever authentically intended to hurt," I informed Azul as I let the power of the Planet flow through me.

Azul harrumphed. "A fight should always be to the death. So come little Ancient, let's kill each other." His maniacal smile was in place as I turned to face him. It turned to surprise as my tantō sparked with electricity, lightning that I powered through the power. His face was oddly blank as I shoved both tantō deep into his belly after I had closed the space between us with speed and charged the lightning, causing it to dance across his form.

The wounds in his belly looked cauterized as I removed the tantō, Azul's body smoking slightly from the attack. He stood for only a second longer then collapsed face down on the ground.

Dizziness hit me then and turning my head, I threw up as my body began to shake. I had just killed someone.

A thump behind me reminded me that we still one more very serious opponent to deal with and I couldn't face her with a pair of tantō if the way she wielded her sword was any indication.

Sheathing my tantō, I drew my sword and turned to aid Kunsel and Cid and my eyes widened at the scene.

The thump had been Cid hitting the ground again, a large gash on his leg as he downed another trooper, the number on the ground having risen from four to nine. They must have been fighting Argento while fending off the additional troops. Kunsel was still facing Argento, breathing hard and sporting several cuts and nicks on his arms. Thankfully Argento wasn't looking too fresh either.

Focusing on my materia, I cast Cure on both Kunsel and Cid, both of them groaning in relief.

"Fuck. Next time I think spellcasters are useless, remind me of this," Cid declared as he brought his spear to bear on Argento again whose eyes widened slightly when she saw Azul's slumped form.

"You killed him?"

"I also threw up," I replied as I drew on the power and the knowledge of Jedi stances. "Please retreat and not make us do the same to you."

She blinked at me in a confused manner. "There is no retreat until the objective is met. And you aren't quite finished with Azul."

"Looks finished to me," Cid announced as he glanced back.

Argento tilted her head at him. "The strongest reach their power when at their weakest."

As though to prove her words violent dark energy began to rise from Azul's form, surrounding it, obscuring it from view for a moment. When it cleared Azul was rising to his feet again and he didn't look to be injured anymore.

"You know what this means, don't you?" I asked Cid.

"That motherfucker won't stay dead?"

"Well, yes, but even better than that; I haven't killed anyone!" I declared with a grin. Cid groaned while Kunsel offered a strangled laugh.

"It also means we still have to deal with that guy!" Kunsel stated as Azul laughed maniacally.

"So, the target doesn't like to kill. Easier to deal with this way though I still prefer the idea of killing her."

"Enough talk," Argento declared as she brought her sword to bear again.

Letting the power flow again, I charged Azul with my sword drawn. This time though, instead of cutting flesh my sword was stopped by a strange shield that had formed over Azul's form.

"HA HA HA! Your little toy cannot pierce my armor!" the behemoth laughed.

"Then take this!" I yelled as I shot a high level Fire spell at the man but it only splashed on the surface of the shield.

"HA HA HA!" Azul laughed again as he took a large step forward.

My hand reached into my pocket and yanked out a materia at random as I began to panic. I barely heard the whisper of "Contain" before I sent my magic into the materia and cast the spell. Ice shot at Azul, colliding with the shield at almost every angle but none of it reached him.

"HELL!" I yelled as I called the power once again as I tossed my sword down and drew my tantō.

"HRAH!" Azul yelled as he took another step forward and I retreated. He followed with another step to which I retreated again. I struck when he took another step towards me.

Calling out, my sword swung itself on the ground, inside the shield just as I had hoped it would be.

Azul winced as the blade dug into his ankle but didn't fall as I had hoped since I had been aiming for the Achilles tendon.

"More pathetic tricks," he stated as his other foot kicked my sword out of his wound and then reached down for the blade. "Small toys are easily broken." He smirked as he snapped my sword as though it were a toothpick.

"Then here's a trick you're bound to remember," I retorted as I lashed out mentally.

Azul understood what I meant instantly as he screamed, dropping the remnants of my sword so he could clutch his head.

"I would suggest you stop," a new voice called out from behind me where Cid and Kunsel should be fighting Argento. Turning, I was surprised to find that Kunsel was down for the count if the bruise on his head was anything to go by while Cid was flat on the ground, Argento's sword at his throat. The new speaker was a man who wore dark armor and a helmet with some form of dark robe and he was backed by the last seven regular troops.

Realizing the threat, I stopped my mental assault of Azul and lowered my weapons.

"Good to see you have a brain," the man stated flatly before turning to Argento. "You were supposed to be the one to engage this one. Instead I find you playing with her two companions."

"My apologies Restrictor," Argento replied though she didn't sound the least bit sorry.

"You'll be appropriately punished when we get back. Now drop your weapons." The last part was directed at me and for a moment I hesitated until I saw Cait Sith in the cave, Shera right behind him, holding him.

I dropped my tantō then and even removed my armlet, tossing it onto the ground next to my weapons. As I did this though, I remembered how Kunsel had also been targeted in Junon and a quick call to the power allowed me to weave a net of indifference and non-recognition over his face.

"Very good," Restrictor stated. "Are either of the others targets?"

Argento glanced at Cid's face as another trooper rolled Kunsel over.

"No, Restrictor," they reported.

"Then secure the specimen, Professor Hojo is eager to get started."

A large hand swatted my head from behind and floored me instantly from sheer force as another trooper pulled my arms behind my back and secured my wrists with cuffs. No one bothered to gather my weapons or materia as I was dragged to my feet and forcefully led away.

Yanking hard, I managed to look back once and saw Cid and Kunsel lying there, neither moving, but I hadn't felt their deaths so I felt certain they were still alive.

"Load her in that one," Restrictor called as he directed the remaining troops to the aircraft that had just landed as a short, fat figure appeared that I vaguely recognized as Heidegger in the aircraft opposite of where I was being led. In fact, most of the troops, including Azul and Argento, had been directed to the other aircraft.

"Finally retrieved my specimen I see," a horrific, slimy voice said and I sharply faced forward and found myself meeting Hojo all over again. The scientist looked worse than ever, the Jenova in him obviously wearing on him. His skin looked as though it were painted with mold and contained purplish pustules. Greasy hair was thinner and looked to be more matted than ever. His clothes also didn't look like they had been changed since he had been sunbathing on the beach in Costa Del Sol.

Two lab assistants reached out and hauled me into what I could now see was a laboratory in an aircraft. They dragged me back to a bench in the middle of the ship and forced me down, locking my arms with more chains.

"I knew we would catch you this time," Hojo stated as the door for the aircraft was shut. "Having nowhere to run would force you to stay and fight, giving us a better feel for your abilities. Too bad none of the SOLDIERs or Specimen V were here."

I didn't give the crackpot the pleasure of a response as he approached and sat in a chair before me.

"Too bad you weren't so forthcoming with your abilities previously; you would have made a very interesting specimen."

'Good thing I left the notebook in my pack,' I thought. The only way Hojo was finding out anything else from me would be by dragging it out of my corpse.

"As it stands though, I'm afraid you're a bit on the old side to be a good specimen for most of my projects-"

"HALLELUJAH!" I cheered.

"But I have one in mind that you should be just about perfect for," he continued, choosing to ignore my outburst as an assistant approached with a syringe which Hojo accepted.

"By any chance does it involve how many times someone can evade capture? If it does I would be more than happy to give it a second attempt if you would unlock these chains."

Hojo smirked slightly, a very ugly gesture. "If that is an invitation for further experimentation after the one I have planned is finished, I'll keep it in mind," he informed me as he stabbed the needle into my arm and drew a blood sample.

I gave the "man" a dirty look, wishing right then he would burst into flames right as a jolt occurred and I realized the ship had taken off.

"Check hormone levels," Hojo ordered as he handed the syringe back to his assistant and got up, heading towards a bolted down table.

Angry and seeing nothing else I could do at the moment, I reviewed the rules of surviving a hostage situation that I'd been taught when I started flying internationally. Okay, first was maintain your pride but be cooperative. I think I managed that to a certain extent. Second was divulge only information that can't be used against you. Don't need to be reminded of that. Don't antagonize… Screw that rule, they want me alive. Be observant. Know your captors. Okay, Hojo is a crackpot ass and one of the few beings in existence that I wish death upon. Expect to be accused of being a spy… Not going to happen here, they already know I'm a terrorist. Try to make them see you as human. That one would be plain impossible without a serious amount of tweaking with the Jedi Mind Trick, while I'm at it why don't I turn Hojo and Azul into homosexual tree huggers?!

I groaned as I realized I was bordering on hysterics and took a deep breath. None of this was in the storyline anymore, I didn't know what was about to come anymore, but I was no hothead. Maybe super formal when I'm stressed or scared but that quickly gives way to me being a sarcastic crack-ass which is probably where I'm at right now.

"Well then, shall we get started?" Hojo's voice drew me back to the present and I shifted angrily as a lab ass approached with a filled syringe.

"Damn you!" I hissed as the assistant stabbed the syringe into my arm and emptied the contents into my vein.

"And I thought we were being nice by allowing you to sleep through the boring parts," Hojo stated.

I groaned loudly as my eyes began to feel very heavy.


	48. Chapter 48

Saria: To those wondering why Rachas seemed to have such an easy fight while Cid and Kunsel seemed to get kicked around remember these several points:

SA: 1. Azul was neither at full power nor was he taking her seriously. He didn't even have his weapon.

Zas: 2. Cid and Kunsel weren't just fighting Argento, they were also fighting all the regular Deepground troops that came at them before the Restrictor arrived.

Tori: So, what is going to happen?

Saria: READ AND FIND OUT! And of course, review when you're done!

zzzzzzzzzz

_**Knights of the Round Island**_

Shera stared in horror as the aircraft took off, taking their other female companion with them and leaving her with two injured men. Shinra had been fair to her in the past but seeing this… Those people were monsters.

She had grabbed Cait Sith when she saw the little robot attempt to run out to join the fight for the simple fact she knew he didn't stand a chance, and when Rachas had looked at the cave before surrendering, she knew she had saved something important to the woman though she didn't understand how.

What was important for now were Cid and Kunsel, they needed help now and she followed the cat robot out to the site of the battle where they now lay.

"Shit," Cid groaned from where he lay. "Fucking hag did me one over."

"Hold still," Shera told him as she took a cursory glance at Cid's wounds before running back to the cave for their survival kit which she dragged back with her.

"Rachas has a Restore materia, brat can fix us straight up," Cid stated when he saw the kit as she dug out the first aid supplies.

Shera swallowed slightly before looking at the Captain. "No she can't."

Cid groaned then glanced around. "Did they knock her out too? Where is she?"

"Ye were right here and you didn't see?" Cait Sith called from where he was picking up the weapons that Rachas had abandoned.

"Sorry, little distracted due to a sword pressed against my throat."

"They took her," Shera informed him. "They made her throw down her weapons while holding you and Kunsel hostage."

"FUCKING HELL!" Cid screamed at the sky then tried to climb to his feet even as Shera tried to bandage his leg.

After finishing with tying off the bandage, Shera turned her attention to Kunsel then froze when she realized she didn't recognize the face of the man who wore his clothes.

"W-where's Kunsel?" she asked out loud, drawing Cid's attention.

Cid stared at her then glanced around. "He's righ-" Cid cut off when he also found he couldn't recognize the man's face though the clothes were right. "Yo spy, where's Kunsel?"

Cait Sith stared at them for a moment before walking over and grabbing the foot of the man they had both thought would be Kunsel. "Right here!"

"You sure?" Cid demanded then coughed as a mist seemed to rise from the face of the man he had thought was Kunsel, leaving an easily recognizable face.

Both Shera and Cid were confused by what happened, though their robotic companion didn't seem to notice at all.

_**AVALANCHE**_

"We're over the locator!" Ran shouted to the gathered members of AVALANCHE. Zack had called them all to the bridge after Aeris's troubling premonition.

Zack stared out the bay window at the sea beneath them, the capsule apparent due to the search light attached to the bottom of the Highwind. There was no movement.

"No one's down there," Cloud declared as he stared down as well.

Yuffie stared down at the capsule as well. "Did we not get here soon enough?" she demanded then rounded on Aeris. "Are they alive?"

Aeris nodded then closed her eyes, listening to the voices of the Planet then pointed north. "There's an island in that direction. They must have abandoned the capsule to head there."

"Got it," the pilot announced as he directed the ship forward at a coasting speed. "Any idea on distance?"

Aeris shook her head. "It's not far, but the pod drifted a bit."

All eyes remained peeled for several minutes before Vincent pointed at something just slightly right of their course. "An island."

Ran nodded and adjusted his course and dropped a bit in altitude. The mists of pre-dawn obscured the island for the most part until they were almost directly above it.

Yuffie didn't wait for any indication that this was the place, opting to instead rush from the cockpit while Zack, Cloud, and Vincent scanned the island.

"I don't see anything," Zack declared. "No other aircraft or boats."

"Life raft!" Cloud exclaimed as he pointed at a rocky slope.

"Alrigh! Found 'em!" Barret cheered as he turned as well to get to the deck.

"Where are they?" Tifa asked.

"One way to find out," Zack yelled as he turned and raced out, heading for the deck himself.

The pilot directed the ship low and landed on a mostly clear patch on the island and AVALANCHE disembarked in their various fashions.

Red was the one to find the remains of the campfire and caught the scents of their companions as well as several different scents.

"This way!" he called and followed the scents and various footprints.

Vincent was the first to follow and he was joined by Tifa.

The sight of where a fight must have occurred came into view minutes later. The sparse grass was torn up, several splashes of blood could be seen, and weapons were on the ground, the bodies of their owners having obviously have been mako enhanced and already returned to the Planet.

"Kunsel! Rachas! Cid!" Tifa called as Red continued towards a cave that was rather poorly covered using branches.

Her call was responded to by a woman they recognized instantly.

"Shera!" Tifa declared when she saw the woman's head appear at an opening between the branches.

"Oh, it's you guys again," the woman murmured as she gently pushed a few branches out of the way.

"Where are the others?" Cloud asked as he ran up behind Tifa.

"Inside," the meek woman replied as she seemed to fight back tears.

Tifa noticed the woman's mood immediately. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes… No…" she replied, her form shaking.

"Kunsel!" Yuffie shouted as she pushed past the trembling woman.

"What happened?" Cloud demanded more firmly.

"Ra-rachas made us move l-last night an-and th-hen these… people came," Shera stuttered. "The Captain and K-Kunsel tried t-to fight, but-but they w-were about to be ambushed so Rachas…"

"Is everyone alright?" Tifa asked soothingly.

Shera couldn't answer, only bit her lip and looked down.

"They knocked down Cid and Kunsel, forced Rachas to surrender, then took her." All eyes shifted to Cait Sith who had just appeared from the cave.

The cool air seemed colder now to all of AVALANCHE's members as the rest of the group arrived in time to hear the words.

"What? Who?" Zack demanded as Aeris grabbed his arm.

"The people she and Kunsel ran into in Junon," the robot replied as he shook his head mournfully. "They left almost five hours ago."

Tears fell down Aeris's face at the news of the capture of one of their friends as several others groaned.

"Did they take Kunsel too?" Zack demanded as he remembered how both had been targeted.

To their relief Cait Sith shook his head. "He was left along with Cid."

"How are they?" Aeris asked.

"Meat grinder," yet another voice called from the cave and they all glanced up to see Cid was using his spear as a crutch as he dragged himself from the cave. Shera stepped over to offer her should but Cid waved her away. "They put us through the meat grinder. So, what's the plan?"

Zack blinked as eyes turned to him expectantly. "Plan?"

"Yeah, girl got captured savin' my and Kunsel's asses, can't leave her hangin' can we?"

The dark haired swordsman glanced at his friends and comrades and for once he wasn't sure. "I- I don't know…"

"What'd'ya mean "I don't know"?" Barret demanded. "We'll do same thing as last time, bust into the buildin' and save her!"

"From where?" Zack demanded. "Do you think they'll take her to the same place? Shinra has labs all over the place! I never even heard of or saw the people they brought!"

"They definitely weren't in SOLDIER," Kunsel stated as Yuffie helped him limp out. "Never saw any of them in the Shinra building, not even the labs."

Red sat down and sighed heavily. All in all, the situation was not something he had ever expected. "Did you get the Huge Materia?" he finally asked.

"Fuck the Huge Materia! What about Rachas?" Cid demanded.

Red shook his head. "If we don't know where she is we cannot help her."

"Aeris!" Cait Sith suddenly exclaimed as the woman cast Cure on Cid and Kunsel. "You can find her, like with Cloud and Zack!"

Aeris stared at him and thought for a moment. The Planet should be willing to help with locating her but if they had taken Rachas somewhere like Midgar she wasn't sure how they would help her.

"I-I can try. The last time Rachas was there to guide me."

"Rachas had to start somewhere too," Cloud reassured her.

Aeris nodded as the group turned toward the ship then noticed what Cait Sith was holding. "Aren't those Rachas's daggers?" she asked when she saw the robot held the weapons as well as a pack.

Cait Sith nodded. "Those blokes didn't bother to pick up her weapons after she threw them down. Gonna hold onto them until we rescue her."

"Reeve ask you to do that?" Barret asked but Cait Sith shook his head.

"Haven't been able to transmit a report, he doesn't know yet."

Silence reigned for a moment before Kunsel blew out a slightly pained breath as they headed for the Highwind. "I hope he can keep his calm."

Vincent spoke next. "When will you send the report?"

"Was about to right now since I can interface with the antennae of the Highwind."

"Make sure to tell him that hasty decisions in these situations lead to much worse consequences and his arrest will do no good."

Cait nodded as several lines were lowered from the Highwind to help Cid and Kunsel onto the ship. Zack helped Shera board while everyone except Aeris either helped hook up Cid and Kunsel so they could be pulled up or boarded themselves.

Aeris on the other hand followed the directions Rachas had given her not so long ago and slowly loosened her hold on her body, focusing on the other, willing to see her and where she was. She couldn't get a location so they must still be moving, but she could tell Rachas wasn't in any pain at the moment though the one image she could get of her involved her being chained down. They would have to reach their destination before she'd be able to tell for certain where the other was, but she was relieved that at least for now she seemed to be okay.

"Aeris, do you need help?" Glancing up Aeris saw that Cloud was calling down at her from the deck of the Highwind and realized everyone else had already climbed or been carried up to the airship.

"I'm fine," she called back before heading to the rope ladder that had been left down for her.

Tifa glanced over as Aeris climbed onto the deck. "Were you just… for Rachas?"

Aeris nodded and though relieved that their friend wasn't hurt, her sadness at not knowing where she was must have been apparent to all.

Barret was the one to step up next to her. "We'll find her," he reassured. "Rachas is resourceful, if she didn't think 'bout us she coulda escaped Shinra the first time."

"With her track record she'll probably get away and show up in some unexpected place," Red offered.

Zack nodded as he walked over to her and gentle hugged his girlfriend. "She does still owe us a Costa Del Sol vacation!" he offered in a weak attempt at humor.

The joke didn't draw any laughs though Vincent suddenly seemed to remember something.

"In Junon, those people that attacked tried to capture Kunsel as well as Rachas, why did they leave him?"

"Maybe he wasn't actually a target?" Tifa suggested before Cait Sith jumped up.

"Those blokes didn't recognize him!" Everyone blinked at Cait's explanation.

Zack glanced at the hatch where Kunsel and Cid accompanied by Yuffie had already disappeared through, the injured men being taken to the infirmary. "Kunsel might not have as wacky hair as Cloud or me but he's not exactly easy to lose."

Shera chose then to speak up. "I didn't recognize him at first."

All eyes were now on the woman before Aeris seemed to realize what must have happened. "Rachas used her powers to make it so they wouldn't recognize him!"

More eyes blinked before several groans sounded.

"She has that kind of power?" Vincent demanded and Aeris nodded.

Zack groaned as he realized to what extent Rachas had still tried to help them. "No one tell Kunsel for right now," he finally announced.

Barret almost exploded. "WHAT?! The hell shouldn't we?"

"How would you feel if you found out Rachas got captured and during that she was insuring you wouldn't be taken also?"

The black man looked mutinous for a moment longer then sighed. "Blame myself, blame her, probably do somethin' stupid."

Zack nodded even as Cloud stepped up. "We'll get her back, for now we need to figure out what to do until we can figure out where they took Rachas."

"Then we should see my grandfather," Red stated. "He'll know what to do with the Huge Materia and keep it safe for us. And when Aeris finds Rachas he may be able to lend a hand."

_**Midgar**_

Reeve woke suddenly in the early morning, a sick feeling pulling at his stomach. He had tried ordering out from one of the few restaurants still open last night, a place he had never tried before. Based on the way his stomach felt so upset he didn't think he would be trying them again.

Climbing out of bed, he wandered into his kitchen and pulled out a cup that he filled with water from the fridge then leaned on the counter.

The rocket launch had occurred just the day before and he was worried for Rachas, Cid, and Kunsel as well as certain they would be just fine. Cid should know that rocket inside out and Rachas was no slouch. Kunsel should be able to take out most threats, and Cait Sith was there as well.

Maybe it wasn't the Chicken Florentine that wasn't sitting so well in his stomach.

One thing was for certain, he'd feel much better once the next report from Cait Sith came and assured him that everything was just fine.

Sipping at the water, the executive tried to think about what he could still possibly do for Midgar and the people of Gaia in general come the morning. The emergency funds for dealing with the victims of attacks from WEAPON were all reallocated to bringing the Sister Ray cannon from Junon to Midgar. He had found that out the day before. Food was starting to run out in the various shelters and the people in the slums were going without some basic amenities. And they hadn't been able to even start with the survivors of Mideel. The good point for that town was that they had a good doctor that had studied some herbal medicines so he could provide treatment in case cutoffs like what was happening now occurred though Reeve doubted he ever could have foreseen this.

A tone from his private computer caught his attention and his stomach coiled as he jumped up and rushed to pull out the device.

The report from Cait Sith confirmed that they had been in the rocket when it blasted off and that they were able to collect the Huge Materia. Rachas's way of narrowing down the possible button combinations was a good one though the combination had made him roll his eyes.

The escape from the rocket did sound exciting and the stars sounded like they would be beautiful. The return to the planet went smoothly and then they got to that island and nothing much happened. He smiled when Rachas found a summon and gave it to Cait Sith since he didn't have one yet.

Just as he felt his stomach begin to settle, the knot twisted and turned cold as the report switched tones and told him to remember he was able to do more good if he wasn't under arrest.

The knot got tighter as Rachas made everyone move to a cave in the middle of the night and two hours later the people that had attacked her and Kunsel in Junon showed up.

The fights that resulted were short and brutal with Rachas facing the behemoth-like man alone while Kunsel and Cid took on almost every other trooper including the woman that Kunsel must have previously faced in Junon. It seemed like they would win for a short while after Rachas managed to down her foe but then the man had gotten up as though nothing were wrong and he seemed unwounded.

As the fight continued a new being showed up and knocked out Kunsel while the woman finally overwhelmed Cid and they forced Rachas to surrender then proceeded to drag her away…

Reeve couldn't finish the report as the knot in his stomach turned into a full blown ache. Standing, he managed to hobble over to his restroom before he found himself heaving into the toilet, horrible images of what could possibly be happening to Rachas already running through his head as he remembered some of the reports from Cait Sith about Hojo's experiments in Nibelheim.

His first thought after his stomach emptied itself was to head for the Shinra building and to tear those labs apart looking for her, consequences be damned! What stopped him from following through with this thought was that he remembered that Scarlet, Heidegger, and Hojo wanted her for something called Deepground and their references to it made it sound more like a place. The Shinra building was probably the last place she would be at the moment and him barging in there wouldn't do any good.

That thought set him heaving again. Wherever Rachas was, she was alone and at the "mercy" of Hojo. And there was nothing he could do!

_**Normal**_

You drug people when you don't want them aware of whatever it is you are either doing to them or of their surroundings. I discovered that though the drugs Hojo had used on me put my body to sleep that my mind was no longer affected since I could disconnect.

Needless to say that the next several hours made me wish I could either deep six Hojo or be completely unaware of what was going on. I was never going to get these hideous images out of my mind.

After I was officially "out" the lab asses removed the handcuffs that had originally been placed on my wrists and laid me down on the bench, relocking the chains just in case I woke up. Hojo had proceeded to take several more blood samples from me and had them tested in a variety of manners such as comparisons to Jenova cells, compatibility to various samples labeled S and G, and mako tolerance. Those hadn't bothered me so much though I hated even the thought of him injecting me with Jenova cells. If he did that I would have to do the honorable thing and throw myself into the Lifestream in Mideel.

The part that bothered me was the extensive physical examination he put my body through, first by yanking up my shirt and feeling my abdomen before moving on to other areas, noting every scar, lump, bruise, and how my various organs felt.

"BASTARD!" I shrieked when I first saw what he was doing. Yuck, no wonder he didn't want me conscious, I didn't want me conscious! I was never going to scrub myself enough to feel clean ever again!

Hojo couldn't hear me no matter how I raged as he continued the examination. And his assistants never noticed a thing either. I had no clue where his intentions lay but I wasn't going to just lie there and let him abuse my body!

"Your results Professor," one of his assistants said as he handed a sheet to the madman.

Hojo glanced over the paper, an ugly smirk appearing. "Prepare the W-samples," he told the assistant before turning to an intercom on the wall. "How much longer will it take to get there?" he demanded.

"We'll be landing in another hour," a crackly voice replied.

Okay, an hour at most to get myself moving and get the hell out of here. Going through all information I could about a possible detox that would allow my body to awaken, I found myself back on Healing. By sending the power through my body I should be able to filter out the drug that Hojo had used. The only problem was that I would have to reenter my body to do it.

"The samples will be ready in forty-five minutes Professor," another voice called.

Seeing no other way out of being a specimen, I called the power of the Planet as I allowed myself to slip back into my body and instantly found myself trapped in a haze. Holding onto the power, little by little tendrils of green from the Lifestream eased through my form and the haze began to slowly dissipate.

Snippets of conversation began to filter through as the trance continued. Brief snatches of conversation as the madman and his assistants moved over me. Sensation returned next and I became keenly aware of the fact that my shirt still didn't cover my lower stomach. Thankfully no one was touching me at the moment so I didn't have that horror to break my concentration.

A new problem slowly began to make itself known though as sensation returned, mainly that I had to hold still and the bench I was chained to was highly uncomfortable and my nose itched.

'Okay, as soon as I can move I need to grab the chains so no one notices as I force open the locks,' I thought. 'Once that is done…' I froze upon realizing that at the moment I was about as close to the center of attention to these guys as one could be. My nets wouldn't work unless all of them didn't notice me for a moment. If even one of them realized I was using one of my known tricks then they'd realize I was awake. Then there was my escape plan altogether. Shinra was bound to have cameras and security wherever we were headed and my stealth didn't work on cameras.

'_Rachas.'_ Minerva's voice was familiar at this point so I was instantly listening to what she might have to say. _'The aircraft you're in has a tail rotor. And whatever you plan to do you should do within five minutes.'_

My head was instantly whirling and the first thought on my mind was 'This is a helicopter?' It made since when I thought about it, Shinra seemed to adore using helicopters, especially for military strikes.

The next thought was 'YES!' mainly because I knew exactly what to do to mess up a helicopter that would cause a hellacious amount of confusion, possibly even panic.

'Thanks,' I thought to Minerva as the last of the haze began to clear and I cracked an eye open to see what was going on and instantly shut it again. Hojo was standing over me, a horrible grin on his face.

'Well, no better time to do this than now,' I thought as I reached out in a similar fashion as I had done to Zack so we could meet for the first time and felt out the lines that fed the shaft that spun the tail rotor and gave them a hard yank.

To understand what happened next, it is probably best to understand the basis of "every action has an equal and opposite reaction". For instance, when an engine crankshaft spins, much like in the turboshaft engine of a helicopter, torque causes the other components to spin in the opposite direction. So if the helicopter blades spin left, the fuselage of the heli tries to spin right. What prevents this from happening is the tail rotor which acts as a stabilizer. Take that away though…

"HUH!?" one of the lab asses yelped as the helicopter began a slow spin while through a cracked eye I saw Hojo stumble slightly towards the intercom.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded even as he latched onto the wall as the helicopter began to spin faster and equipment began to shift around.

"Something's wrong, the tail rotor seems to have slowed… It's stopping!" the pilot called back.

"Well smooth it out, we are about to begin very delicate procedures!" Hojo ordered.

Seeing my chance, I wove my fingers around the chains on my wrists and used the power to force open the locks, holding them in place even after I was free.

"Professor, the W-samples are ready!" one of the assistants called and through my cracked eyes I saw him holding a rather thick looking syringe.

Hojo looked gleeful. "As soon as the idiot pilot gets this thing under control, inject the specimen!"

Well, I'm done. Calling out to the power I made the door to the chopper unlatch though not open and rolled off the bench.

"PROFESSOR!" the second assistant shouted as I shoved my way to the door, using the power to pull myself along in the now rapidly spinning craft.

"INJECT IT!" Hojo screamed and shoved his first assistant towards me with a level of strength that didn't seem suited for his frame or age.

Right as I reached the door the assistant crashed into me and made a swipe with the needle as he crashed into the wall. There was neither time nor the possibility to dodge as the needle cut a thin trail across my stomach and stabbed my side, the assistant's finger hitting the plunger automatically.

Reaching down, one hand grabbed my cut stomach as the other yanked out the now empty syringe and tossed it away before grabbing the door of the helicopter and forcing it open.

I didn't look, didn't think, just jumped. Jumped and prayed that whatever I had been hit with wasn't a fast acting sedative. It didn't appear to be as I remained conscious during my fall, even remembering to call on the power to catch me though I was a little late with that.

I managed to rotate around to land on my feet right as I crashed into someone's roof though my speed was slow enough that I didn't crash through the roof. Instead my legs gave out and I rolled down the side of the roof and fell one story to the ground.

Everything hurt right at that moment, but there was no time to think about it. I had to get moving unless I wanted to be caught all over again! Glancing around I was surprised that I seemed to be on some residential street of a quiet neighborhood. Perfect in that there shouldn't be too many cameras and plenty of places to hide. Then I caught sight of that one telling building that rose over everything, the building that had been my first clue as to where I was when I first arrived on Gaia.

"Midgar," I whispered as I limped across the street and began to cut through the various yards of different people, never running into anyone. The entire place almost seemed dead!

Groaning, I called on the power to try to help me but found it difficult, I hadn't noticed it previously since I was so new to this world but Midgar was very stifling. The power of the planet was present but it wasn't like it was outside of the city. The land here was borderline silent, dead… like Earth.

A slight breeze blew and I groaned upon realizing my hair tie had finally broken. It served me faithfully for over two months of very punishing treatment. It had survived dragons, bombs, fights and running away from some very dangerous enemies and it breaks because of a rough landing… The laws of convenience just suck! This entire day is going down the drain.

Leaning against a wall, I glared at the sky and wondered what else could go wrong. I had been captured and though I'd gotten out of the helicopter I was stuck in a city that was ruled by those who captured me. Going to Reeve was out of question, I couldn't call the others since I didn't have a PHS anymore, my weapons and materia were notably absent, and aside from jumping off the plate and running across the wastes I wasn't too sure how I could get out of Midgar. Shinra now knew at least some of my abilities and would probably send those Deepground jerks after me again; actually I'm surprised they weren't raining down on me right now.

"Murphy's Law, Murphy's Law," I chastised myself as I banged my head slightly on the wall I leaned on while I reached into my pocket and felt Reeve's handkerchief. Pulling it out, I stared at the pattern for a moment before using the cloth to tie my hair back.

_**The Crash Site**_

Hojo growled angrily as he yanked himself from the smashed remains of the helicopter and stared at the pitiful sight. That pathetic pilot hadn't been able to correct the machine that he was trained and hired to fly and had crashed! The professor doubted anything good could come from the man's remains so he wouldn't bother attempting to take any, and the same could be said for those weak assistants of his.

Staring at the hand that had previously belonged to one of his assistants, Hojo sneered before kicking it aside. The only good that one had done was right at the end of his life when he had successfully followed Hojo's order to inject the specimen.

Grinning crookedly, the professor reviewed those last moments he had seen his specimen as it clutched its stomach and tossed aside the empty syringe. There was the possibility that nothing may come from that treatment but only time would tell. For now though it was important to reclaim the specimen before it wandered too far.

It really was too bad he had ordered the pilot to go at so slow a speed so they could have stability for him to begin procedures. Still though, whoever would have thought that being would regain consciousness so soon with the sedative that had been administered? It should have been unconscious for another six hours at least! Now the helicopter that had been carrying the Restrictor and troops had already landed and it would take a while to scramble them again.

_**Normal**_

I was moving again and crossed a concrete park where a large fissure could be crossed on several unguarded bridges. I noted that the bridge indicated four on the side I started on and five on the other side. Sector numbers? Probably.

There was a nagging at the back of my mind but I ignored it in favor of the burning in my legs and sides as I forced myself to run again and dodged through more yards, even jumping a fence or two.

Finally I just couldn't run anymore and stopped on a deserted street where several cars were parked. Walking up to one of the doors, I thought about knocking to see if I could borrow a phone but stopped when I noticed a note on the door. It seems as though the residents of this house had left and had posted their contact information in case someone they knew came looking for them. Glancing through a window I saw that they must have left in a hurry since there were items scattered across the room. One thing I did notice though was a panel that indicated a security system in the house. It was too dangerous to try to break in.

The next house proved to be the same with the security system so I didn't bother. Realizing that most of the houses probably had security systems, I hobbled down the street hoping to see another person who I might convince to let me use their phone.

As the sun rose it seemed that my prayers were answered as I turned onto a street and saw an elderly woman standing in a yard before a house.

"Excuse me," I called as I approached the woman and the nagging in my head increased as she turned towards me and I found that she looked very familiar. "May I borrow your phone?"

The woman looked me up and down and for the first time since jumping from the helicopter I took more than a moment to take in my own appearance. My cargos and jacket were torn and bloody, I could feel a few scrapes on my face, and in general I must have been a terrible mess.

"Should I call an ambulance?" she asked with a distinct Scottish accent and the nagging in my head increased spectacularly.

"No, I should be fine. I just need to make a phone call then I'll be on my way."

"Let's at least get those cuts cleaned then you can use the phone," she offered kindly as she turned towards her house.

"Thanks," I replied as I hobbled after her.

"Miss Ruvie!" a young voice called the moment we entered her house and I turned my head slightly to see a young boy only to do a double take. That was Denzel! Instantly I remembered The Story of Denzel, On the Way to a Smile. I had just walked straight into the house of Ruvie Tuesti, Reeve's mother!

"What's going on?" Denzel asked innocently as Ruvie pushed me slightly towards a stool, her hand ghosting over my ponytail.

"This young woman just needs to be fixed up and to use the phone," Ruvie replied as another woman who I could only assume to be Denzel's mother entered the room. "Chloe, would you get the first aid kit for me? Now dear, what would your name be?" she asked as she insisted upon taking my coat.

"I- I can't say…" I told her; suddenly very aware of the amount of danger I had put these three in just by being here. Oddly enough the nagging I had been feeling in the back of my head was still present.

"How did you get those cuts?" Denzel asked as he stared at the cuts and bruises on my arms.

I bit my tongue for a moment before replying. "I jumped from a moving vehicle and had a bad landing."

"Oh dear," Ruvie stated as she suddenly rose to her feet. "Let me see if I have anything else you can wear once we get you fixed up. You might also want a shower."

She left before I could say anything and then Denzel was asking how fast the vehicle was going and why I jumped out of it before his mother reentered the room, a first aid kit in hand, and bid him to not ask such questions.

_**Sector 2**_

Reeve hadn't been able to sleep for the rest of the night after that horrifying report. He just kept thinking of Rachas and what she had to be going through, of what she would go through. He knew he should have more faith in her but just the possibility of her being hurt in such a way sickened him and had him seeing red. He could only pray to the Goddess at this point.

Much as he wanted to skip work that day he just couldn't. If he didn't show then they might guess he was in contact with AVALANCHE and just as Cait Sith's report told him, he would do no good if he were imprisoned.

The phone rang right as he finished tying his tie and he grabbed it for no reason other than hoping someone might have news that would give him a reason to either hope or skip work. It was his mother instead.

"Good morning dear," she said and despite himself Reeve smiled weakly at her cheery tone.

"Did you grow a flower?" he asked, not quite sure why she would do something as unusual as call in the morning when she usually did that either in the afternoon or at night.

"No, but I found that handkerchief you misplaced."

Reeve frowned as he wondered what his mother could possibly mean. The handkerchief he had misplaced? She knew perfectly well he only had two, the one she made recently and the one he had given to…

"In good condition I hope?" he asked as he fought to keep his voice level.

"A little banged up but easily repaired," she replied and Reeve thanked every deity he knew of that his mother was such a canny individual. She already seemed to understand that because he hadn't told her Rachas's name that there was danger.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," he promised.

Over the phone he was certain he heard his mother laugh before he hung up. He barely remembered to grab his coat before he rushed out.

_**Normal**_

The cuts on my arms, hands, face, and legs were all easily cleaned and then I was pushed into a bathroom by Ruvie with a towel and an armful of extra clothes that she had.

The shower was far more luxurious than what the Highwind had and for the first time in quite a while I enjoyed a very nice shower that didn't have either a time restriction on it or you would be better served by a leaky faucet. It was strange though for one reason; I had always adored hot showers on Earth, but after so long of just having lukewarm here on Gaia the hottest water I could stand at the moment didn't cause any steam to cloud the mirror.

The towel was soft and fluffy, a wonderful luxury. The clothes on the other hand…

I crinkled my nose a bit as I tugged on the pants and shirt that I had been loaned. They were obviously meant for a woman and the soft material wouldn't last a day in either an airplane or on the field with AVALANCHE. Like it or not though, this was what was available and beggars couldn't be choosers.

Now I just needed a plan for what to do. Obviously I needed to get moving soon, possibly pick up some new weapons and materia, but then what? Head for the Ancient Capital? The group had no reason to go there since Aeris was alive and they knew for certain that Holy had been cast. How was I supposed to get in contact with them again assuming I could even get out of Midgar?! It wasn't like my plane…

Cue the light bulb over my head. I was in Sector 5. The airport was in Sector 5 also! Unless Shinra had moved my plane, it should still be on the airport! All I needed was confirmation that it was there and I had automatic transportation! As for getting in touch with the group, without money I couldn't get a new PHS and it wasn't like…

I groaned as I realized just how dependant on technology life on Earth had made me. Thus far I had used my powers without actually _using_ them. I had already known what was going to happen thus far and without that I had automatically fallen back into thinking with technology and not as a Cetra or a Jedi. I could contact Aeris without worry through the Planet and our powers!

As I exited the bathroom, a wondrous smell invaded my senses and my stomach grumbled loudly. It seems that during my shower breakfast had been made and that the menu was French toast, bacon, and tea.

"Are you hungry?" Ruvie called from the kitchen and at that moment I wished I could lie to her. I wished I could say that I wasn't so I could get moving immediately and reduce the danger I had already exposed her to.

"I am," I replied quietly as I entered the kitchen then froze as I felt something, no someone, approaching.

Ruvie glanced up as I turned my head towards the front door where outside I heard a car approach and park. A door slammed then feet could be heard coming up the drive to the door.

I knew who it was before ever hearing the car and before the door opened I was already moving towards the door.

Reeve entered the house in a rushed but casual fashion then closed and locked the door behind him. He turned then and looked me in the eye and suddenly I was afraid, more afraid then I had ever been in my life. I was terrified of what would happen if he was caught here.

"You got away," he murmured as he took a step towards me.

"Yeah," I replied as my own eyes began to sting a bit before he pulled me into a hug. Tears came fast then and despite repeating to myself over and over that crying never solved anything, I couldn't stop.


	49. Chapter 49

Tori: Aww! So many people think Reeve/Rachas are cute!

SA: More were fascinated with what she was injected with you know.

Zas: Can you blame them though? It was obviously no sedative and Hojo was pleased.

Saria: So we already know it had the possibility of affecting her. Guess everyone has to continue to read to find out what it was!

SA: How long?

Saria: I don't know… I have a plan but I never seem to write as much as I intend. Each chapter is averaging almost 18-20 pages as it stands…

zzzzzzzzzz

Reeve wasn't able to stay longer than a few minutes so that he could avoid suspicion, but he did stay long enough to allow me to cry myself out. He asked multiple times what had happened and I answered truthfully that Hojo had taken more blood samples and run several tests while enroute to Midgar as well as doing an extensive physical examination.

"Did he inject you with anything?" Reeve demanded before leaving.

I bit my tongue, not wanting to say but found I was forced to nod. I couldn't lie to him at all.

"Did you hear what it was? Where did he inject you?"

"My side," I replied then indicated my tender side. "I thought it might have been a sedative but now I don't think so."

Reeve nodded before kissing my forehead. "I'll see what I can find out. Stay here and hide if anyone comes."

"Don't!" I ordered. Reeve raised a dark brow in question to my order. "If you get caugh-"

"I won't tell anyone where you are," he replied and I shook my head.

"You know that's not what I mean."

Ruvie chuckled from the doorway then and our eyes turned to her. "It seems your friend wishes your safety as much as you want for hers," she announced. "You need to get going though, linger any longer and there might be some suspicion."

"Yes mother," Reeve replied before leaning forward and kissing my forehead.

"Is my airplane still at the Sector 5 airport?" I asked abruptly.

Reeve froze for a moment as he turned towards the door. "That is something I can check on. If I claim to be thinking of putting it to use for bringing supplies to Midgar then no one should be too suspicious, just a sweep of available resources."

He continued to mutter as he let himself out of the house, careful to not open the door too widely while I took a step back to insure I remained hidden. His car started several moments later and began to roll down the street, away from the house.

Ruvie took my hand, a smile on her face, and guided me back to the kitchen.

"Care to tell me your name now?" she asked as she placed two pieces of French toast and some bacon on a plate then handed it to me.

I accepted the plate but gave a shake of my head in the negative. "The less you know of me the better. And if Shinra comes knocking…"

"Shinra?" Ruvie asked sharply.

"SOLDIER or the Turks specifically," I told her.

"Turks? As in AVALANCHE?" Denzel asked and the rest of us blinked at him in confusion. "Dad talked about them when he got me out of Sector 7. How the Turks were mobilizing."

"The Turks must have been trying to defend the pillar. AVALANCHE is the terrorist group that bombed the pillar," Chloe said after a moment. Her comment caused me to angrily stab at my food.

"The Turks are the hired guns of Shinra," I informed her sharply. "They kidnap, kill, and cover-up anything they think will reflect poorly on the company."

"How can you say that?" demanded Chloe as Denzel stared at me, his mouth ajar. "Shinra is trying to defend us still from everything that AVALANCHE has unleashed on us!"

This time I choked loudly. "Shinra brought it upon you, not AVALANCHE! AVALANCHE has been trying to stop the WEAPONs and Meteor without wasting valuable resources of the Planet."

"Shinra claims that AVALANCHE sabotaged the materia bomb that should have destroyed Meteor."

"I could go over the physics and calculations with you until we are both blue in the face on why that bomb would never have worked and you probably still wouldn't understand. And that would be assuming that Meteor had the same density as an average meteorite and was not magically reinforced."

"Enough of this," Ruvie's voice interrupted us. "I trust my son's judgment, and my own. He will tell me what has happened when he can but I shall not tolerate arguments of this sort before the entire story is known."

"I understand," I relented and Chloe nodded.

"Then tell me, what is it you do and how did you meet Reeve?" Ruvie asked with a smile.

_**AVALANCHE**_

The arrival of AVALANCHE in Cosmo Canyon didn't raise any alarms though the guard at the entrance did recognize them.

"Quite a sight," he said, indicating the sky as they approached. "The children are all scared, wish I didn't have to see it either." He didn't try to stop them as they entered the town after and the lot of them trooped up the stairs after Red, heading towards Bugenhagen's house.

Zack, Kunsel, Cloud, and Tifa were each carrying one of the Huge Materia they had collected. Several times one of the others offered to take the large crystals from them but each refused.

They finally reached the largish house at the summit and the entire group walked in without even so much as a knock. Bugenhagen peeped out at them from the observatory.

"Ho ho hooo!" he announced as he floated out to them. "In need of some wisdom?"

"Yeah," Cloud admitted for the group. "We also brought some items we need to ask you to watch."

"I know, I know. Please bring the Huge Materia in here," Bugenhagen replied and opened the door wide so that all of them could be admitted. "Have you lost your way?" the elder asked as he scanned the group, eyes narrowing at one absence.

Aeris lowered her eyes, unable to admit that they had lost someone. Bugenhagen surprised her by floating over and tipping her chin up slightly.

"When this happens we each have to take a good long look at ourselves. There is always something in the deepest regions of our hearts. Something buried or forgotten."

"How's that supposed to help?" Barret demanded from several feet over. "Rachas is still caught and rememberin' won't help her."

"It must be there, so look harder!" Bugenhagen ordered Aeris, surprising the woman.

"R-rachas said I was talented in foresight," Aeris replied quietly before her eyes misted slightly. "We pray in this place, the heart of our people…"

"The prayer for Holy," Kunsel said suddenly.

"What?" Cid demanded while Vincent nodded.

"That was the prayer Rachas and Aeris spoke when they prayed for Holy. Why hasn't it worked yet?"

"Se-Jenova is still capable of calling Meteor again. Holy will either wait until the last moment or for her to be defeated," Aeris replied, choking when she almost said Sephiroth. After Rachas's discovery of Sephiroth's innocence she had been trying her best to keep the two separate in her mind but it wasn't as easy as she had hoped.

"Why did you repeat the prayer though?" Bugenhagen asked as a twinkle appeared in his eyes.

Aeris thought for a moment before replying. "It slipped into my mind right then, as though it were being whispered from far away."

"Like a call that was meant to eventually draw you."

Aeris nodded at Bugenhagen's suggestion. "Except it wasn't meant for me."

"Who then?"

Remembering the lessons in letting go again, Aeris allowed her thoughts to reach out and find the call the allowed the visions to come to her. The Ancient Capital entered her vision as well as a device she was unfamiliar with. And a key they needed to retrieve. And who they were meant to find there.

"Rachas."

"Ho ho hoo, well we better get going then if we're to gather everything, shouldn't we?" Bugenhagen asked. "As for the Huge Materia, how about we store that upstairs?"

"Sounds good to me," Zack replied as he, Cloud, Kunsel, and Tifa carried their pieces to the platform before Bugenhagen raised them into the planetarium.

As each of them placed their respective materias down, Kunsel found himself drawn to the intense blue color of the materia he held.

"The fuck?!" Cid's voice floated up from below. "My materia's glowin'!"

"As is this one!" Cait's voice called back as the glowing materia grew brighter in his eyes.

A blink of light later and Kunsel stared at the glowing red materia that formed before him then reached out and touched it. The summon was powerful, he could tell that already, and it was more than willing to join them. Kunsel grinned as he accepted the materia and easily equipped it into his armlet.

"So where we goin'?" Cid asked the platform lowered again.

"Ask Aeris first, she's the one who seems to know," Zack called.

The brunette Cetra shut her eyes for a moment before turning to Cid. "The lake. We need the sub in order to reach where we need to go."

"How will a sub help us find Rachas or defeat that monster in the North Crater?" Yuffie demanded as they headed for the exit of Bugenhagen's house.

Aeris smiled knowingly. "We're not going to find Rachas."

"Then what the hell're we doin'?" Cid demanded.

"Preparing for when she finds us. The Planet wants to show her something."

"Ho ho hoo, I see that you're quite talented in foresight," Bugenhagen stated as he floated after them. "Your friend's talents were a bit more balanced, not specialized. Her types are excellent for initial teaching."

"You know?" Aeris asked which drew a laugh from Bugenhagen.

"She didn't tell you? Ho ho hoo! How is it that you think I float the way I do?" asked the elder. His comment caused Zack to trip and he fell into Cid who dropped his spear causing Red to jump the next stair, accidentally ramming into Tifa who Cloud turned to try to catch only to end up blushing furiously as his hands ended up somewhere other than on Tifa's shoulders.

"Way to go Cloud!" Zack whooped before Aeris slapped his shoulder.

"So, we need to get the something in the sub. What then?" Kunsel asked as he refused to look at the blushing mass at the bottom of the stairs.

Aeris just smiled before looking to Cid. "Go to Costa Del Sol."

_**Normal**_

Chloe and I were very obviously at odds with one another. She was the standard homebuilder and house wife. I was not. She believed Shinra wouldn't do such terrible things such as drop the Sector 7 plate. I didn't agree. Luckily we didn't have to talk to one another.

Ruvie seemed impressed about my being a pilot and an engineer. She laughed as I described how Reeve and I had literally run into one another at Gold Saucer and ended up with a date that night since the tram was having maintenance issues. I was glad she didn't pry any further into how we knew one another.

Unfortunately because she didn't pry any further and continued with what was probably her normal morning routine, I was left with time to wonder what the hell Hojo had had injected into me. It was a W-sample if I remembered correctly and considering how absolutely "imaginative" Hojo was when he named things; I started listing everything I could think of that started with the letter W.

Staring at the paper in front of me, I groaned as I tried to think of just what Hojo could have used. Thus far the paper had whale, walrus, wolf, wind wing, wartortle, wurm, wombat, wallaby… I crossed out wartortle after a moment of thought. As connected as Hojo may be I doubt he could get his hands on Pokémon DNA. What else was there? Something very dangerous, something he would love to use in an experiment… WEAPON.

My eyes widened as I thought of that possibility. How the heck could Hojo get WEAPON DNA? It wasn't like one of those would just let Hojo walk up… Sapphire WEAPON… Hell, had I been shot up with Sapphire WEAPON DNA?!

My hand instantly dropped down to my still sore side and pressed on the area. I had never longed for my tantō like I did right then. As unsanitary as it likely would be, I could have used those to attempt to carve out those damn cells. The last thing I needed was for Hojo to attempt to include me in an experiment to clone a WEAPON!

"Would you give me a hand?" Ruvie's voice floated over to me and I stood immediately and lifted the chair she was attempting to vacuum under. Glancing around the room I saw that Chloe was reading with Denzel, obviously attempting to keep his education moving forward.

The day was moving very slowly for me, it was not even noon yet and I was already stir crazy. I expected the door to be kicked in at any moment by Azul yet I couldn't leave. Jumping from the plate would not do anything except garner attention and going to the airport directly without knowing for certain that my plane was there was a sure way to get myself either trapped or followed.

Then there was the problem involving what to do about Ruvie, Denzel, and Chloe. I simply couldn't leave them here, especially if Shinra did find me. Exposure to the Lifestream would cause Ruvie to die of Geostigma in under a day and Chloe wasn't supposed to survive to start with. My plane had room for all of them but how did I get them to leave? Kidnap them?

Seeing Ruvie was finished with vacuuming under the chair, I set the piece back down and lifted the ottoman for her next. I was being very careful to not use my powers at all while here. It was proving to be a bit difficult since I hadn't bothered covering them up at all since coming out to the rest of AVALANCHE.

"Would you mind teaching Denzel some math while Chloe and I tend to the outside chores?" Ruvie asked as she moved on with her vacuuming.

"Alright, what's he on?"

"Fractions," Chloe stated shortly as she stood while Ruvie put away the vacuum cleaner.

"Easy enough," I replied as I grabbed several extras sheets of paper as Denzel's nose crinkled.

"No," he stated as he sat across from me. "They're terrible."

"Let's see if I can simplify them for you," I offered as Ruvie and Chloe headed outside, Denzel watching them enviously.

The next hour was a slow one where I attempted to talk Denzel through fractions, first in how you can't directly add one-third to three-fifths. Once he understood how to make the denominators equal it moved quickly enough but you could tell he was still new at multiplication. We ended up spending extra time getting him used to multiplication and division so he would be able to do it automatically in the future.

Chloe and Ruvie came back into the house at noon and some sandwiches were fixed for lunch then Chloe and Denzel pulled out a basic science book and started on the animal kingdoms. Ruvie had nothing for me to do so I ended up sorting through some of her books, hoping to find something of interest. There were several that looked decent but I found myself to not be in the mood to read them.

Finally, at some point in the afternoon, I sat down simply to meditate. Focusing outward, I managed to distantly feel the Lifestream and let go of my body so that I could move through it. I floated over Midgar for several minutes, turning my senses outward to try to identify any possible danger. There wasn't any in the immediate area so I allowed myself to drift and found my attention turned towards the Ancient Capital where I heard an echo of the prayer for Holy. Was Aeris in the city again? God, she better not be in any danger, I have not worked so hard just for her to be hurt while I was unable to do anything!

This new sense of duty drove me back to my body and I sat up to see that Denzel had just been "released" from Chloe's version of school. A cute, innocent looking little boy…

"Denzel, do you know where the airport is?" I asked, calling him over.

Denzel thought for a moment then shook his head.

"It's a fair distance from here," Ruvie stated as she reentered the room. "Though not so far that a young boy with a healthy interest in aircraft wouldn't make the trip."

"No," Chloe declared flatly. "If there is any danger then Denzel shouldn't be put at risk."

"Who would find risk in a little boy looking at airplanes?" I demanded.

"People are paranoid these days!"

Ruvie spoke next. "What if a little boy and his grandmother were to drive by the airport so he could see the airplanes? It would be an activity to help get his mind off of current events."

"Do you honestly think they'll let you in?" Chloe asked.

"They don't need to enter the airport, just stand or sit on the other side of the fence and note which aircraft are there. Perfectly legal and not at all suspicious."

Chloe narrowed her eyes slightly at me before sighing. "Perhaps an outing is exactly what we need at the moment."

Ruvie smiled at Chloe's response. "Reeve gave me a car some time ago, he would want it to be used at least once."

"Shouldn't we wait for him to give us the go ahead, after he checks if the aircraft is there or not?"

"I'd prefer that he not be exposed to further danger," I responded as Chloe made a slightly sour face.

"So, you want to protect him while exposing us?"

"I'd rather not have any of you involved, but Reeve has been involved a lot deeper for a lot longer."

"Then we'll see what we can after dinner. Speaking of which, would you give me a hand dear?" Ruvie asked me as she headed for the kitchen.

_**Highwind**_

Bugenhagen, Cid, Red, Barret, and Cait Sith all opted to remain on the Highwind when they reached the lake. They would head for Costa Del Sol soon though none with the possible exception of Bugenhagen knew why.

As the rest headed for the sub, Vincent stopped and gazed in the direction of Lucrecia's Cave. He should visit her one more time since he didn't know if he would get a second chance.

"I'll be right back," he told Cloud as he peeled away from the group and headed for the cave, his metal encased boots clicking along on the stony ground. Previously when he had been here he had told Lucrecia's echo that Sephiroth was dead despite Rachas telling them he was still alive within the form of Jenova. He didn't know if either Rachas or Aeris could help him in any way or if any of them could do anything. All he could think to do was destroy Jenova and free Lucrecia's son from the suffering through real death. It was unpleasant but if that was all he could do…

The cave looked the same as when he had been there previously except that there was no Lucrecia on the altar.

"For what it may be worth, I'm sorry," the former Turk murmured as he stepped closer to the altar. Reaching into his pack, he pulled the journal out and set it on the altar. "What you did to me… It was to try to save me, wasn't it?"

A foot appeared in his vision and he straightened up to find the specter of Lucrecia before him once more. She didn't smile but her eyes seemed thankful for his understanding.

"We'll stop Jenova," he promised. "And… we'll free him." If only he knew how.

Lucrecia nodded and her eyes seemed to mist over slightly before she extended her hand and touched his chest right over where his heart should be. A burning rushed through his body as the area glowed oddly, almost like there was a materia there, then the light began to fade and as he looked back to where Lucrecia had been a mere moment ago, he found himself staring at empty space. On the floor before him though was a gun that he lifted and found the weight of to be acceptable.

"We'll free him," he promised again as he holstered the gun then turned and left the cave.

Outside, everyone was already organizing themselves into the sub and though he had intended to go with the sub crew, Vincent now found himself drawn instead to the Highwind where hopefully there was a man who could give either him or two of his companions some direction in how they could save the soul of Lucrecia's son.

"I think we'll be crowded," Tifa's voice called from inside the sub as he approached to inform the group of his decision.

"Aeris has to go," Zack called back. "Maybe Yuffie should stay with the Highwind."

"She shouldn't have as much of a problem with subs," Kunsel called back.

"Is anyone claustrophobic?" Cloud asked as he climbed down the hatch.

Vincent stood over the manhole that everyone else had descended then. "I've decided to remain with the Highwind," he informed Cloud.

Cloud raised his eyebrows a bit then nodded. "Okay, though I think you're the only one amongst us who knows how to use the scuba gear."

"I know how to use it," Kunsel's voice called from somewhere further up the sub and Cloud nodded.

"Thanks Vincent, that alleviates some of the crowding problem."

Turning, the red cloaked man headed back towards the Highwind where he would hopefully find some answers or suggestions.

_**Normal**_

Cooking with Ruvie reminded me somewhat of cooking with my grandmother before she had passed away. She was always scooting around the kitchen, checking how well this or that was being chopped or if this pot was boiling yet.

Not once did she bring up the topics of airplanes or Shinra, sticking only to subjects such as weather and what I had reviewed with Denzel.

Dinner was ready soon and as Denzel set the table a car rolled up. Knowing who it was already, I hovered by the door and waited as Reeve came up the walk then through the door. It was stupid but for some reason or another I had to know that he was alright, had to see him for myself.

"Hey," he offered as he hugged me. "You plane is at the airport but we'll need to move soon. Heidegger is ordering SOLDIERs to start performing searches of the plate."

"Then I'll leave tonight," I promised.

"Not before dinner you won't," Ruvie stated as she entered the room then herded us towards the kitchen. She fussed over both of us before seating us at the table.

"You outdo yourself every time," Reeve stated with a smile as Ruvie urged everyone to serve themselves.

"Not at all dear," Ruvie replied as she served herself. "How was your day? Any projects?"

Reeve nodded slightly. "The water filtration system they recently installed in Kalm wouldn't be fitting for Midgar. As it stands there are a number of problems arising in the slums involving monsters, food shortages, and power outages."

"Can't the reactors keep up?" Chloe asked and Reeve shook his head.

"With everything that has happened thus far its surprising things aren't worse."

"It's all AVALANCHE, isn't it?" Chloe stated and I bit my tongue in an attempt to not restart our argument from earlier.

Reeve's hand found mine under the table and he gave it a gentle squeeze. "AVALANCHE, despite what Shinra has been stating, actually isn't responsible."

I will admit to feeling a bit of smug satisfaction when Chloe stared at Reeve in mild shock.

"We thought initially they did, but further research shows they are actively looking for solutions as well, not causing the problems. They were responsible for evacuating Mideel when they found one of the large monsters was headed that way."

Chloe relented on AVALANCHE after that though Ruvie did seem to consider what was said.

Conversation tapered for a while then I asked Reeve about any other robots he might be working on. That started a rather limited conversation that quickly became one only the two of us were a part of until Denzel asked what the robots could do.

"Well, just about anything," Reeve replied and Denzel's eyes lit up.

"Could you make one to do my homework for me?"

Denzel's question drew laughter from the lot of us and then Chloe made a suggestion.

"How about one to wash the windows? Or do the dishes?"

"That is what dishwashers are for," Ruvie stated as she stood and collected the dinner plates.

Reeve excused himself then and glanced at me, his wish to talk obvious. I followed him to a room where he shut the door after checking that the blinds were closed.

"How do you plan to get to your plane?" he asked quietly.

"If need be I'll walk," I replied as he reached for his briefcase which he had picked up as we moved had walked to this room. He opened it and handed me a bangle and two materia, one of which I recognized immediately as a Restore.

"What's this?" I asked as I held up the strange materia he had handed me.

Reeve glanced at it then offered me a shrug. "The experimental materia department turns out some strange materia sometimes, that one is supposed to inflict status ailments such as blindness while attacking magically. I believe they called it Hell Blizzaga."

I could feel the materia was manufactured, probably the reason I couldn't hear a voice to it yet, it hadn't had the time to gain some form of consciousness the way most materia did. Gazing into the depths of the orb though, I saw a reddish-black outline of a snowflake and realized that was probably how most people recognized materia.

"How did you get it?"

"There was a rush on the department recently; people are trying to arm themselves, hoping to be able to do something when the time comes. Several of my subordinates were giving these to me, wanting me to arm myself just in case."

I nodded then slotted the materia into the simple bangle and clasped it to my wrist, instantly feeling better at having the now familiar weight of materia and armor on my wrist. I wasn't almost completely defenseless anymore.

"I could give you a ride to the airpo-" I shushed Reeve's offer before he could finish.

"If you did then it would be too easy for them to figure out that you were involved. I've taken too much already."

Reeve shook his head and looked like he needed to sit down. "When this is finished I believe my time with Shinra will officially be over."

"Don't be so quick to assume," I reprimanded. "You don't know how everything will fall once this is done. It's unlikely AVALANCHE will need to continue after this is finished."

Reeve sighed but nodded slightly. "Have you considered my offer for when that happens?"

I swallowed thickly before looking at him. "It will depend…" I couldn't tell him that I was at an impasse over whether or not to stay or go, not like this.

The executive nodded before turning to open the door and we walked back to the main room. He gave me and Ruvie each a kiss on the cheek before departing. We waited until he was down the street before Ruvie called attention.

"We'll head to the airport for now and see if your plane is there," she informed me as Chloe handed Denzel his jacket and took her own. Ruvie in turn handed me a dark green coat before leading us back to a garage where a small sedan waited.

Ruvie and Chloe took the front seat of the car while Denzel took the backseat. I curled into the backseat as well and prepared myself to disappear onto the floor at the first sign of trouble.

Ruvie drove slowly and carefully through the streets, always mindful of any possible pedestrians though there were none to be seen. There was some activity around the train station that led to the slums but most of it was from troopers as they kept an eye out for anyone who might be approaching. Several times I ducked when I was certain I had seen a broadsword or a glint of armor.

It seemed we couldn't reach the airfield soon enough for me and when we finally got there I was a nervous wreck. The dim sun was setting and every shadow looked like it was ready to leap out and grab me so it could drag me back to Hojo.

My teeth shattered alarmingly as the fence came into view and I clenched my jaw to force them to cease while wiping my sweating hands on my pants.

Ruvie parked her car near the entrance to the field and acted like a grandmother on an outing, pointing at the various aircraft on the field, most of them helicopters. I was shaking as I did a scan of the area with the power before raising my head. There were several beings that could be labeled threats that were nearby but if I was careful I should get out without a problem. None of them felt like Azul, Argento, or Restrictor.

Looking out on the field, my eyes danced around the forms of the planes, looking for my blue and white one. I located it with surprising ease, sitting almost exactly where I had left it when I had brought Zack and Cloud to Midgar. There were locks on it but I was certain I could remove all of them without a problem.

"Do you see it?" Ruvie asked.

"Yes," I replied as I reached out with the power and felt around the plane, looking for any traps before aiming at the locks and popping them open. A bit of shifting was all that was necessary before the locks and their chains fell away from my craft and in the gloom none of the ramp workers noticed the suddenly untied aircraft.

"Which one?" Denzel asked as he stuck his head out of Ruvie's open window.

"The blue and white right out there," I replied as I indicated the plane.

Denzel blinked before grinning and to my horror jumped out of the car.

"Denzel!" Chloe called as she pushed open her door and climbed out and I scrambled to follow, keeping my head down and my senses alert. "Denzel, get back here!"

Apparently someone had been rather careless that night because one of the side gates was open and Denzel slipped through easily, Chloe and me following him. He was just climbing onto the wing of my airplane before we caught up to him.

"Denzel, get down from there!" Chloe stated as she took a firm grip on the boy's arm.

"But mom, I just wanted to see the airplane!"

"It's dangerous here," Chloe replied.

"Your mother's right," I told him as he pouted slightly. "You need to get back to the car."

"Will you be alright?" Ruvie asked from behind me and I turned to see the old woman had indeed followed us onto the ramp. Because she was no threat my senses hadn't alerted me.

"I'll be fine once in the air, now the three of you-" I cut off as a shriek through the Lifestream called out to me and my heart skipped. Very powerful beings were coming, of that I was certain and they had already seen the three out here with me. "Get in the plane."

"What?!" Chloe demanded as Denzel's eyes lit up.

"Cool!" he exclaimed as he reached up and grabbed the handle on the door and tugged it open. "Mom, you gotta see this!"

"Denzel, get out of there!" Chloe stated as she climbed up on the wing as well and I followed, shaking as I pushed her into the plane before giving Ruvie a hand up and helping her in.

"What's happening?" Ruvie demanded as I shut the door then strapped myself into the pilot seat.

I ignored the question as my hands flew over the controls of the plane, prepping him for start up after a possible two month plus break. I was surprised but thankful that we had full tanks.

"Let us out!" Chloe demanded but stopped when she saw several forms outside. "Thank Goddess, SOLDIERs!"

I glanced out and in the ramp light saw two men in the black garb of SOLDIER Firsts. One had spiky white hair and the other had spiky black hair. I didn't focus on any other features as I kicked one of the engines into starting and forced in full power to get us rolling.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked as I began starting the second engine.

"Getting us out of here," I replied as what felt a lot like the darkness from the Gi caverns back in Cosmo Canyon flickered at my senses.

"Mom! That one guy, the shadows are dancing around him!"

"Den-" Chloe trailed off and I saw her jaw drop as she stared out the window as well.

The second engine finally started and our roll began to quicken. Glancing out of my window though, my breath froze when I found myself staring at the white haired SOLDIER. He had moved to just before the leading edge of my left wing and when he met my eyes, he smirked, an insane twist of the lips that made my blood run cold.

"Goddess," I heard Ruvie gasp next to me but paid it no mind as the SOLDIER raised a long sword that looked to be some sort of gunblade.

Reaching out with the power, I shoved him away as he brought the sword down, obviously intending to slice open the wing. He stumbled back a few feet then smirked again.

Shoving the throttles forward, not bothering to do either a warm-up or magneto check, I forced the plane to move faster as a freezing feeling flew up my spine. Glancing back, I saw a fount of darkness appear in the plane.

Behind the screen I heard Denzel scream and Chloe gasped loudly. Next to me Ruvie was silent.

If it was like the stagnation caused by the Gi, then current could combat it!

Calling on the power once again, I gave it no direction except to wash over the stagnation and clear the darkness. My call was answered by green energy that erupted from my form and crashed into the dark mass right as what appeared to be a hand pushed through. A new voice screamed then and withdrew into the blackness before the power forced the stagnation to dissipate.

Turning back to my controls, I felt my eyes almost pop. We were almost at take-off speed and not even on a proper taxi way, much less a runway!

Another flash appeared in my vision and the white guy was back, standing directly in our path, two swords in his hands this time.

"Hold on!" I yelled as I pitched the yoke up as much as I dared, forcing the nose up into a premature take-off while pushing at the SOLDIER with the power.

We didn't miss, not entirely, I heard the swords as they cut through some of the metal on the nose of my plane, but I believed that the cuts would not be of any consequence.

Leveling the nose, we flew off the edge of the plate and then dipped slightly below it before I turned us west. At this point in time I had no clue where I was headed just as long as we were away from here.

"What was that?" Chloe demanded several minutes later, her voice still shaking slightly.

I took a moment myself before answering. "That is Shinra's version of active recruitment."

Silence continued for a moment longer.

"Things sure have changed since they recruited Reeve," Ruvie stated blandly and in spite of the entire situation, I found myself laughing.

_**The Sub**_

The tunnel was not as nerve wrecking to go through the second time since they now knew for certain that it didn't simply dead end. Still though, everyone onboard was on the lookout when the end of the tunnel came into view. Cloud slowed the sub down to the point where they barely even crawled out of the tunnel.

"Anyone see anything?" he whispered in the cockpit.

"No," several voices whispered back.

"Why are you whispering?" Yuffie asked at normal volume which caused everyone to blink for a moment before nervous laughter broke out. True to Kunsel's words though, Yuffie was having a much easier time in the sub than the airship and with the help of the motion sickness medicine she was almost her usual peppy self.

"Remember the WEAPON you saw in the sea last time we were in the sub?" Tifa asked and Yuffie paled a bit.

"You think we'll run into that?"

"It almost got us last time, thank Goddess for that tunnel," Zack answered.

Yuffie groaned then seemed to redouble her visual scans. "Still doesn't make sense to whisper in here though."

Aeris glanced out herself and then listened to the Planet. "The Planet says WEAPON is not near here. The Key we need isn't far though."

"Point the way then!" Zack stated with a grin.

The Cetra nodded as she listened for a moment then pointed in a direction that almost was due east. "That way, I'll direct you as we get closer."

"So, we'll meet up with Rachas in the Cetra City?" Kunsel asked after several minutes.

Aeris nodded. "The Planet is calling her, it won't tell me why. But… it seems certain she'll make it."

"So we get the Key you're speaking of and head to the city. So why'd you send everyone else to Costa Del Sol?" Tifa asked as she continued her own scan using the instruments.

"Because they'll be needed there."

Cloud shrugged as he focused on the instruments again. "It'll take us quite a while to get to the North Continent though not as long as it took to cross the sea. Any idea when the Highwind will get there?"

Aeris frowned and shut her eyes for a moment before smiling. "After us, Rachas has several things she'll insist upon doing first."

"Rachas will come on the Highwind?" Zack demanded as he shot to his feet.

Aeris nodded as a smile spread across her feet. "She escaped, I can feel it."

Zack and Cloud exchanged looks before a loud "WHOOP!" escaped Zack's throat.

_**Normal**_

We were over the ocean before I truly breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone in the plane had been silent for the short while as we flew over land. Now though, as the shock wore off, Denzel was getting energetic.

"Did you see it?! That dark guy had shadows all over him and then he seemed to disappear in more shadows and then there were shadows in here and then that green stuff appeared and the shadows shrieked…" Currently the seven year old was bouncing in the back on the plane, excited by what had almost happened.

"Yes Denzel, we all saw," his mother reassured as she tried to get Denzel to stop jumping.

Ruvie glanced back and smiled at Denzel's energy before turning to me. "Is that what you've been running from?"

"Yeah, most recently," I admitted. "Reeve knows and… I don't want him getting hurt."

"Why did you involve us?" Chloe demanded from the back.

"I didn't mean to. I just wanted to use the phone then keep running."

Chloe looked ready to argue further but stopped when Ruvie raised a hand. "When you ordered us onto the plane, it was because those men would have killed us if you left us, right?"

I nodded. "That would be the most likely outcome. They could have taken you for experimentation also."

"Experimentation?" Chloe echoed. "As in human experimentation?"

"Where do you think shadow man got his powers?"

"Reeve is helping you run away from people who want to use you for experimentation?" Ruvie sounded both faint and extremely proud.

"AVALANCHE is too." That got everyone's attention. "As for right now, I'm getting you three somewhere where you should be safe. They won't put priority in finding you."

"You have somewhere in mind then." Ruvie's voice was strong once again.

"Yeah, we just need to get a bit lucky and meet up with my companions first," I replied as I checked my compass and made a slight course adjustment.

The flight across the sea didn't take long, the distance between the East and West Continents wasn't that great as far north as we were. Almost three hours was how long it took for us to reach my intended destination and as we descended, towards a field near the town, my heart leaped happily. The Highwind was waiting for me!

Denzel had dozed off at some point but the slight thud of the airplane as it landed awakened him.

"Where are we?" he grumbled as he glanced outside and saw that the sky was still a bit light.

"Welcome to Costa Del Sol," I informed him as I unlocked the aircraft door then jumped out.

"I came here for your father's and my honeymoon," Chloe told Denzel as she climbed out after me then jumped down.

"Can we go to the beach?" Denzel asked excitedly as I handed him down to her.

"Maybe."

"So, what now?" Ruvie asked as I assisted her out of the plane.

"My companions are up there," I replied as I indicated where the Highwind was tied down. "Once I collect some things then I can make arrangements for you all."

"Should we all stay back then?" Ruvie asked as we began our trek towards the airship.

"Maybe, some of these guys can be pretty jumpy. Barret in particular if you catch him by surprise ca-"

"RACHAS!" a familiar voice roared and I turned to see a large, dark form swoop down upon me and pull me into a bone crushing hug. "Shera 'n Cid said those Shinra fuckas took you 'n then Aeris said to come here 'n you're here! How'd'ya get away so fast?"

"She might be able to answer if you weren't crushing her," another voice called and I was finally able to breathe again as Red appeared and Barret set me down.

"Thanks Red," I wheezed as Cait Sith bounced up and threw himself at me for a hug.

"So, go to check out the plane we see and we find our lost comrade!" Glancing up I saw Cid appear with Vincent right behind him. The other pilot was wearing a large grin as he swaggered into the clearing. "Man, look like shit!"

"Didn't look too pretty yourself while pinned down by that woman," I returned with a smile as I set Cait back on his mog.

"Well I'll be, it's Reeve's mother!" the robot declared when he caught sight of who was with me. "How'd they get here?"

"I insisted upon following her to the airport and there was an attack," Ruvie said before I could answer. "Rachas?" She looked to me for confirmation and I nodded. "Rachas saved us by bringing us with her."

"Well… Welcome I guess," Red said with a slight bow of his head.

"What're we goin' to do with 'em?" Barret asked as he turned his attention onto the three, his voice not unkind.

"I'll be setting them up," I replied as I accepted my pack from Cait Sith. "And I think I know the exact place."

"Ain't goin' alone," Barret declared firmly.

"Fine then," I replied as I checked my stash of gil and found I had the exact same amount. "Cait Sit-"

"I'll be escorting you," Vincent volunteered, surprising all of us.

Cait Sith shifted a bit on his mog before looking back at us. "I'll send a report to Reeve; he'll likely be worried sick."

"Alright then," I said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Let's get going then."

Vincent proved a big help in helping Denzel and Ruvie get to town, his presence also killed most attempts at conversation. We easily entered town and found that for the most part the place seemed deserted. I led us immediately to the Shinra Villa and prayed that we hadn't yet missed the realtor. We were lucky in that we got there right as the man was stepping out.

"Hello," I said as I stepped forward, causing the man to jump a bit. "We happen to be in the market for a place and I heard this was on the market."

The realtor looked to be the sleazy sort and he grinned widely. "Well then, welcome to the Shinra Villa! This beautiful vacation house is on sale and at 300,000 gil it is a steal!" he announced as he opened the door again and led us inside.

I fixed on my best poker face and didn't look at all impressed though I did have to admit the villa was beautiful. Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, full kitchen, sitting room. They had done a good job cleaning the place after my rampage. I made it a point to look under every sink, point out every bit of rust, every dent, nick, and scratch that could be seen. Vincent and Ruvie also moved through the house with sharp, judging eyes while Chloe took Denzel into a bedroom and sat down with him.

"300,000 gil for this dump?" I finally declared as I turned to the realtor. "We would get a better deal at Gold Saucer. Probably a better place to spend the next few days until…" I glanced upwards to emphasize my point.

"Place'll be famous once Shinra destroys that," the realtor countered.

"With what?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow. "The materia bomb failed, why not spend our days doing something enjoyable? And though Costa Del Sol is nice, Gold Saucer would have more activities for all of us. The clubs, the chocobo races, the fight arena…" I trailed off as I named several of the more adult activities that occurred in Gold Saucer and was pleased when the realtor's eyes showed a bit of interest. "Infinitely better than sitting on a beach where those water monsters could attack any time."

"Fine then, what's your offer?" the realtor snapped.

"200,000 gil."

The realtor seemed to chuckle at the amount. "That's pocket change, girl! This place is a steal at 300,000 gil though I suppose I could hand over the deed at 290,000."

"I see your game," I replied. "Place is probably valued at 250,000 and you're looking to score a large profit that goes beyond your typical fee."

I was offered a greasy smile. "Or it could be valued at 275,000 plus my seller's fee."

"Mind showing us the appraisal then?" asked Vincent.

The realtor looked Vincent up and down, his eyes stopping on the gunner's claw and gun. "270,000."

"Fine," I said before anyone else could say anything. "270,000 and no questions asked. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Rachas, that's-" Vincent cut off Ruvie by escorting her out of the room as I dug out the agreed upon sum and the realtor signed the paperwork and we handed off the items without looking at each other, him counting the money and peeling off 20,000 and pocketing it while I read through the deed.

"Pleasure doin' business with ya," the realtor said before setting down several keys and departing.

Counting out an extra 100,000, I set it next to the keys, wrote down my PHS number, and then shoved the deed into my pack. I would be keeping it with me so no one would know who had bought or now owned this place.

"So, we're going to be staying here?" Ruvie asked when Vincent allowed her into the room again.

"It's too dangerous to take you with us," I replied then indicated the table. "Don't try to access your own accounts. If you need more then you have my number. If one of you goes missing, even for an hour, then call me. Reeve's phone is bugged now but we can get messages to him through Cait Sith."

Ruvie didn't smile at me, I never expected her to. I had dragged her out of her quiet, comfortable life and set her on a crash course with danger. She did seem to understand though as she took my hand and turned me around, gathering my hair into a ponytail.

"I trust my son and he trusts you," she told me as I felt a cloth get tied around the tail. "So be sure to keep that handkerchief of his close. And when you can, I want the whole story from both of you." A tug and the cloth was secured.

"I'll try my best to do as you ask," I assured her before she turned me back around to face her.

"Stay safe," she ordered and I nodded before heading to the door with Vincent.

The door closed and locked behind us smoothly and the two of us began our trek back to the Highwind. As we were on the road out of town Vincent surprised me with a question.

"Have you thought of anything you can do about Sephiroth?"

"No," I admitted. "Destroying the Calamity should work, but what if we destroy him as well?"

Vincent was silent for a moment. "Couldn't you just… cut him out?"

I mentally gagged at just the thought. "He isn't a piece of meat!" I replied. "And I'm not a knife. He's stuck within the Calamity herself, incapable of leaving on his own due to her hold on him."

"Bugenhagen said much the same," Vincent said. "How did you wake Zack?"

"Aeris and I entered his mindscape and found him. It took a bit of encouragement, but we did get him to help himself awaken."

"So he had to wake himself?"

"He cut himself off from the pain, blamed himself for everything. Aeris and I had to help him past that and we had a bit of help."

Vincent sighed heavily as the Highwind came into sight. "Try to think of something, please…"

I stared at Vincent in surprise as he stepped up to the ladder and waited for me to go ahead and board the ship. That seemed so out of character for him.


	50. Chapter 50

SA: (eye twitching) So… we vacated the Bahamas for Isaac?

Saria: Yep! (is loading her car)

Zas: Do you even have a job lined up yet?

Saria: Possibly.

Tori: WE HAVEN'T EATEN IN TWO DAYS!

Saria: Hey, you have yourself to blame for not eating the California Rolls Zas and I made.

SA: Great… We're starving artists and we're not even artists!

zzzzzzzzzz

When Vincent and I boarded the airship again Cait Sith was obviously waiting for me. He had already sent his report to Reeve and received a response.

"He wants to know what you were thinking, letting them drive you to the airport like that!" Cait reported as we walked towards to bridge. "He also wants to know what you have done with them."

In response I pulled out the deed to the villa. "Tell him I purchased a villa in Costa Del Sol and left them with a fair amount of money and my phone number. They should be safe here and Shinra is unlikely to put much, if any effort into trying to find them."

Cait Sith stared at the address for a moment then nodded. "They definitely wouldn't suspect them to be at an old Shinra property."

"As for why I brought them with me," I continued only for Cait to cut me off.

"He saw the limited surveillance they had at the airport. To most it looks like you forced them into a plane and then SOLDIERs tried to stop you but he already knows that is unlikely."

"I could sense their intentions and they wouldn't have left those three alone had I just run."

"I'll be sure to give your explanation. As for them driving you, Reeve knows his mother well enough to know she is quite willful."

We entered the bridge then and I was happy to see everyone there and ready to go. Cid stood behind Ran who was ready at the helm while Red and Barret were at the bay window. Bugenhagen surprised me a bit when he swooped down from where he was hovering near the ceiling.

"Ho ho hoo! So young Aeris was right with her vision! Here you are, away from Shinra's clutches, just as she said you would be," he said with a smile.

"Where did they go?" I asked.

"The Cetra City," Bugen replied, his smile never fading. "Aeris says that there is something the Planet wishes to tell you so she has taken you other companions to find a Key and meet us there."

I nodded. "How long ago did you guys drop them off?"

"A few hours ago we left them in the sub," Cid called out. "Since we got you, we'll be headin to the city ourselves."

A quick review of my memories indicated after the Forgotten City, Diamond WEAPON would rise and attack Midgar. The cannon would blast through WEAPON and destroy the barrier to the North Crater. Upon our first attempt to enter, we'd get an emergency call from Midgar, kill Hojo, then have maybe three days before we'd enter the North Crater. Currently Tifa, Aeris, Yuffie, Barret, Red, and probably Cid had their limit breaks. I include Cid because from my way of thinking he should have gained that as soon as we gained the Highwind and he did technically call it into service at Fort Condor.

That leaves Vincent and Cloud as those who have final limit breaks that need to be gained. Gold Saucer and Lucrecia's Cave.

Come to think of it though, when the realtor had glanced at Vincent's weapon back in the villa, I had to admit it looked a bit different. Glancing at it again confirmed for me that it was definitely a different weapon.

"Vincent, when did you get a new gun?" I asked and saw Vincent stiffen.

"When we dropped Cloud and the rest off at the submarine, I checked inside the cave where I saw Lucrecia."

Okay, scratch Vincent off the list. Just Cloud now. We needed to find the time to visit Gold Saucer, the sooner the better. No time like the present.

"We need to stop by somewhere first," I told Cid as Ran began take-off procedures.

Cid blinked. "Where the fuck do we have to go?"

"Gold Saucer, there is something we need for Cloud in Gold Saucer!"

Barret groaned loudly. "You're insane," he stated bluntly.

Red just flicked his ears a bit as he stared at me.

"I'm serious! There is something Cloud should have in Gold Saucer! We're close right now, so let's get it!"

Cid groaned while Vincent seemed to contemplate what I said. "How long will it take to get to Corel?" he asked.

"A little over an hour," Drix called.

"A few hours, give us a few hours then we'll go to the city," I pleaded to Cid who rolled his eyes.

"Fuck, we'll get there way ahead of the others as it stands anyway. But you're payin' for our tickets!"

"Fine by me," I replied as I pulled out my lifetime pass with a grin. "I can easily cover you and Vincent."

Bugenhagen gained my attention by clearing his throat. "I believe that we have an hour that we can talk about certain things," he said seriously and I kicked myself for not reviewing how to shield one's thoughts from another. "Let's go somewhere a bit more private."

_**Sub**_

Cloud could honestly say he was getting tired. Thankfully though he considered Kunsel a good person to turn the controls over to and gratefully did.

Six hours, they had been enroute for six hours now and had just reached the edge of the North Continent. And Aeris only had a general idea of where they were going. He blinked sleepily as she directed Kunsel to follow the coastline and for everyone to keep their eyes peeled for a possible cave.

At least there was no sign of WEAPON anywhere.

_**Normal**_

I followed Bugenhagen down the hall glumly. There was nowhere I could run at the moment to get away from him.

He led me to the meeting room where he asked the attending crew member for some privacy then used his powers to close and lock the door as he settled himself at the table.

"You've grown more powerful," he stated evenly.

"I've just gained more control," I replied.

"Holy has been cast so now all that remains is the Calamity," he continued. "Your friend approached me about ways to save a soul that is but devoured by that thing. Has he asked you?"

I nodded. "I told Vincent that I was no knife and Sephiroth was not meat."

"Ho ho hoo! Is that the analogy you chose? Tell me young Cetra, how did you find out that Sephiroth still existed, the true Sephiroth?"

"I heard him scream." A shiver ran down my back as I remembered that moment back in the Cetra City. "I was mad and the scream was calling for help so I invaded that thing's mind and… I touched him. He was there, desperate for help."

"And why can't you cut him out?" Bugen asked.

"Why can't you?"

"Ho ho hoo! Because that is not within my power!" Bugen replied as he hovered a bit higher. "I have many talents, levitation, healing, foresight, communing with the Planet, but I never had that one skill that allows me to enter the mind of another. I can sense those with our talents though which seems to be one skill you lack."

"So, I could in essence "cut" Sephiroth out?"

"And save a piece of his soul," Bugenhagen replied. "Let him return to the Lifestream without fear."

I was silent as I thought of the possibility. Saving a small piece of him was better than nothing but still… Sephiroth had seemed decent until Nibelheim despite the hellish life Hojo had probably given him. He deserved better.

"You'll need to step up Aeris's lessons," Bugenhagen continued. "She is better prepared than I expected she would be, but still has a long way to go if she is to face that Calamity."

"I know," I replied as I felt my mouth go dry. He was right of course, I was acting as though Aeris should be protected rather than be able to protect herself. Though I was teaching her some combat skills I still preferred for her to runaway and as was recently proven to me by Hojo, we wouldn't always be able to do that. "Neither of us are Guardians," I murmured after a moment.

"No you're not, but you're not helpless," Bugen startled me from my thoughts as he levitated from the table. "At least you understand what I've said."

Bugenhagen floated out of the room then and I wandered out a few minutes later, my head feeling a bit fuzzy. I wandered down to my cabin and finally dug out my weapons from my pack and strapped my tantō into place, changed out my bangle, transferring the Hell Blizzaga to my armlet. The Restore got placed in my pack in case I should need a second though I doubted I would. My hilt I tucked into my belt, determined to keep it close from now on.

We landed as I was headed back to the cockpit so I changed directions and headed to the deck as everyone else followed. The tram had a few minutes before it was due so I took the extra minutes we had to run to a thrift store where I found some cargos, a shirt, and a new jacket. I didn't have the opportunity to change before the tram arrived.

An hour later found our party of six in Gold Saucer which was swarming with people who were partying in commemoration of the end of the world. I led our party straight to Battle Square.

"What the fuck're we doin' here?" Cid demanded as his eyes traveled over the teeming masses of people.

"Hello again!" a familiar voice called from behind us before I could answer. "Are all of you here for some good times before…" Dio glanced around then pointed upwards.

"Just who you see, and no," I replied as I stepped closer to Dio. "We're actually working hard to try to find a solution and I know of something here that could be of use to us."

Dio chuckled humorlessly. "If you guys can pull that off, then all of you will be welcome in Gold Saucer and any other venture I build without charge, ever."

"It would be better still if you would just give the one item we need."

Dio gazed at me then shook his head. "If it's in my collection-"

"It's not," I reassured. "It's one of the prizes in the prize machine."

"Dammit Rachas, you dragged us here for a prize?" Barret demanded while Dio tilted his head towards the machine.

"Are you certain that it will help us?" Red asked.

"It's a powerful limit break Cloud can use," I assured him.

"Afraid I can't," Dio finally decided. "If you all compete in the fights then you can throw your points together and buy it."

"Which one is it?" Vincent asked as he gazed at the machine.

"Valued at 32,000," I replied.

"Alright, so we fight to get it?" Barret asked.

"Don't have much of a choice it would seem," Red replied. "Six of us, 5,300 points apiece should just about cover it."

"More than that," Cid declared as he gave me a look. "Some of us ain't that great as fighters."

"I don't like to fight," I responded blandly. "All a fight proves is that I'm stronger than you."

"Care to say that again?" Cid demanded.

_**Midgar**_

Reeve sighed as he sat up again. Ever since Rachas's capture he hadn't been able to sleep as well as he had previously.

Things were getting worse. Luckily his inquiry on aircraft available in Midgar was disregarded and the airport surveillance did look as though Rachas was kidnapping his mother and a woman and child so he wasn't in any particular trouble. Though some people were suspicious, others thought it far too obvious. No one as smart as Reeve would let his mother be seen with a known terrorist.

Cait Sith's report on where she now was did put his mind somewhat at ease. That was smart; Shinra's presence in Costa Del Sol was enough to make the place seem like a bad idea to hide in. It also placed his mother and her guests in a much healthier environment where food and fresh water were much easier to come by.

Still though, he had seen the powers of the two who had attacked and that was his current distress. If that was what his friends were going to face…

Shivers erupted on his skin as he pulled a notebook from his nightstand and gazed at the various items written. These were ideas on what could or should be done as soon as Meteor and Sephiroth were dealt with. At the very top of the list was shutting down the mako reactors. Beneath it were several of Rachas's suggestions for alternative energy.

Shinra was slowly driving him insane. He had thought that the impending crisis would cause some people to stop and think but instead Rufus was acting as high and mighty as ever and seemed convinced this was how he would cement his place in history. Scarlet and Heidegger were acting more entitled than ever. Hojo seemed to think he was touched by the Goddess and was acting like it as well.

None of them seemed to realize that the end could literally be on top of them. Meteor was projected to collide with the Planet where Midgar stood.

Several of the other executives and his subordinates had listened to his warnings and had begun to move their families below the plate but it seemed to not be enough. Rufus refused to allow him to evacuate the entire population.

Despite what Rachas said about AVALANCHE probably not being necessary when all of this was over, Reeve knew he was going to be done with Shinra unless there were some radical changes. He just hoped that whoever was left would be ready to change once everything was said and done.

_**Normal**_

It was seventh battle in the arena and I had gotten very lucky with the roulette thus far. They had shaved off five levels, attempted to poison, shrink, and slow me, removed my armor, and the final spin took away my independent materia.

I had never been so happy to have my Esuna spell as I was during those fights or that I took a few minutes to change into my new cargos and shirt. Now on my final fight this round I found myself facing… A ship with a skeleton glued to the front? A Ghost Ship if I remember correctly. Damn it, those things are supposed to be strong!

"Come on, don't pussy out Rachas!" Cid shouted over the crowd and I groaned. Battle Square actually had four active arenas, one main and three branch arenas. Apparently a woman fighting was odd enough to automatically get me thrown into the main arena. Two of us would always be down and it seems Cid must have finished his fights before me. A quick glance confirmed that he was in fact there with Cait Sith and that Vincent had gone to take a turn.

Pulling out Contain, I began the fight by blasting the monster with the Freeze spell then dropped and dodged as the monster retaliated with its oar. Pushing up, I allowed the power to flow and brought my tantō to bear as the skeleton brought its oar down for a second swing. My blades cut deeply into the wood of the oar, breaking it.

The monster stared at its weapon for a moment, as though shocked, then howled loudly and I skipped back to avoid the blue fire it created.

As stupid as it was, I actually felt sorry for this monster. It was obviously a captive used for entertainment. I could see dents and scrapes all over its form and a chain prevented it from trying to escape into the crowd. It was in pain, hungry, confused, and used to humans simply attacking it without reason. That didn't mean I could afford to allow it an easy win.

Deciding to end this fast, I pulled out Leviathan and cast the spell, drawing excited shrieks from the audience as the water serpent appeared over their heads. She twisted over the crowd spectacularly before rushing the Ghost Ship, ramming it hard into a wall.

The other monster seemed to gasp for a moment then went still, the chain on it going taut and drawing the monster back through a barred door.

"WINNER: RACHAS KAZE!" the announcer declared over the thundering cheers.

I smiled faintly then felt a slight bump on my shoulder and turned to give Leviathan a smile. The water serpent seemed pleased as it twisted and faded from existence. A quick glance at my materia revealed it to be glowing brightly, a clear sign of it leveling up. Almost mastered.

The guard grinned as I moved back to the gate to get my final score. As things ended up, they used actual judges for the fights and graded you on technique, power of spells used, style, and general excitement of the matches. A high level fire spell wasn't good in the first few matches but earned you huge points in later ones. You didn't hear what your score was until you chose to leave the ring.

"Final score, 5,798," the attendant told me as she handed me a card for redeeming the points.

"Alright!" I cheered as Cait Sith moved up next to me.

"Seems you filled your quota!" the robot declared happily. "My turn!"

"Main Arena," the attendant informed him and nodded towards a gate.

"I'll be watching!" I called after him before turning to Cid. "So, how'd you do?"

"Shut the fuck up," Cid grumbled before stomping off as Barret appeared.

"Final score: 4,673," the attendant announced as she handed him his card.

"One more go!" Barret cheered before turning to me. "How'd ya do?"

"Filled my quota," I replied. "Cait Sith is starting right now."

"Shall we watch then?" Red asked as he appeared also.

"Final score: 7,423," the attendant stated as she held out a card and Red turned to me.

"Would you hold on to it?"

"Sure," I replied as I took the proffered card. "You're the winner thus far in terms of points."

"I'm going again," Barret said as he handed me his card as well.

"See you," I called after him.

"Do you need to fight again?" Red asked and I shook my head.

"Cid should be on his second fight now also," I told him as we walked back to the Main arena. A loud megaphone scream caught both of our attention and we turned to see Cait Sith dancing on his mog, three electric birds twitching on the ground before him.

"So, do you think this is the second round?" I asked as we headed for some available seats.

"Could be, he won't score well though it he just uses the megaphone," Red replied.

I was about to reply when a loud boom occurred and we heard a number of people screaming. Both of us exchanged looks before racing to the door and heading in the direction of the screams.

They resounded from one of the branch arenas and several moments later both Red and I were staring in at a sight neither of us had expected. In the arena were the remains of a large monster, one that had been thoroughly torn apart and I could no longer recognize beyond the point where I knew it once had horns. Standing over the carcass was a large, red being with leathery wings.

"Chaos," I murmured at the sight.

"Did you say something?" Red demanded as he prepared to pounce.

"It's Vincent, another transformation," I told Red, causing the canine to stare at me for a moment before the wings of the being before us wrapped around the figure and turned back into the tattered red cloak we both recognized then peeled away from Vincent's form.

Stony silence dominated everything for a moment then cheers and screams erupted from all corners. The announcer couldn't even be heard when he called Vincent the winner.

"Let's go," Red insisted, bumping my leg to get me moving and we both approached the front desk to find our comrade already there.

"Final score: 10,374," the attendant gushed as she blushed and held out Vincent's card.

"Great job!" My call earned me a look from Vincent before he thrust the card into my hand. Guess he wasn't too fond of this new transformation.

"Are we almost done?" he asked after a moment and I did some quick mental math.

"We just need another 4,000 more and Cait Sith, Barret, and Cid are currently fighting."

"They should be able to easily gather that amount," Red assured the man.

Vincent sighed then turned towards the arena entrances. "Which will finish first?"

"ARGH!" Cid yelled as he stomped over to the desk. "Some idiot caused an explosion and that monster caught me by fuckin' surprise!" he raged.

I opted not to say anything though I did have to hide a smile.

"Barret and Cait Sith will cover it," Red said.

Another loud explosion caused all of us to turn and charge towards the Main Arena and as we piled in I groaned.

Circling a large dragon were several knights in armor and as we watched they attacked, one after another, each opening a large wound that bled profusely on the dragon. The final blow came from the armored King Arthur before they all disappeared and the dragon lay on the ground, torn to pieces.

"WHERE THE FUCKING HELL DID HE GET A SUMMON LIKE THAT?!" Cid yelled after a moment and I actually did laugh as I raised my hand.

"Afraid I'm the one who gave it to him," I admitted as we walked back through roaring cheers.

Cid cursed colorfully as he wore a disgusted look.

"Final score, 9,263," the attendant said as she passed Cait Sith a card.

"Looks like we're done then," Red said as I accepted the card from Cait and headed back to the prize machine with the cards.

"Seems like it," I confirmed as I swiped each of the cards then selected the appropriate number. The Omnislash booklet dropped into the collection slot and I retrieved it easily and tucked it into my pack.

"What about the rest of the points?" Cait Sith asked as he bounced over to stand beside me.

"We can get a Speed Plus materia," I offered and looked to see if there were any takers but no one seemed interested.

"Or we just leave." Cid still sounded sour.

"Hey!" Barret called as he walked over to us. "Got an extra 2,000 points!"

"That's fuckin' fantastic!" Cid yelled as he marched out the door.

"What's his problem?" Barret demanded as he tossed down his card.

"Sour that he lost all his points during his fourth round fight," Cait Sith replied.

_**Submarine**_

"There it is!" Aeris announced as a cave finally came into view. All eyes turned to where she was pointing and Kunsel began an ascent to the level of the cave. It wasn't a deep cave and they couldn't try to enter it with the sub due to the fact they could already see the back. They could also see a strange form in the cave, almost as tall as a man and conical in figure.

"I'll get it," Kunsel volunteered as he stood from the controls.

Tifa glanced at the radar screen then nodded. "Everything seems clear at the moment but be careful."

"Will do," Kunsel called back before exiting the cockpit as Cloud slid back behind the controls and Yuffie stood to follow him. The scuba gear had already been pulled out and was ready for him and Yuffie helped him pull on the air tank.

"This'll just take a few minutes," he reassured her before she pulled out a scale of some sort and pushed it into his hand.

"This is a Leviathan scale I found while… Anyway, it's a water element and might help you," she told him and he quickly tucked the treasure into a pocket.

"Thanks," he said as he stepped into the airlock and prepared to exit the sub.

The water was cold as it rose up around Kunsel and he kicked hard the moment he had access to open water, propelling himself into the cave quickly. Latching onto the Key, he gave a slight tug but found that it seemed to be held tight by whatever held it in place. Putting a bit more force into his tug, he tried again and the Key groaned as it left its pedestal.

It was cumbersome to swim with the thing, but Kunsel managed to haul it back to the sub and forced it through the manhole of the airlock.

Yuffie didn't appear to have moved at all as the door to the sub popped open and allowed him back in. She helped him drag in the Key and stared at the ridiculous shape.

"Geez, I don't even want to imagine what kind of a lock this goes into," she grumbled.

Kunsel smiled but had to agree with her. If they had to turn this by hand then it would probably take him, Cloud, and Zack just to turn this thing.

"You got it!" Aeris stated as she walked into the room.

"So, now to the city?" Kunsel asked.

Aeris nodded. "According to Tifa we just need to resurface and we should be close to Bone Village. Getting there will be a short trip."

_**Normal**_

I fell asleep on the tram ride back to Corel and woke when Barret shook me as the cart arrived in the town of tents. The day had finally worn me out and I was eager for some sleep.

No one seemed surprised as I stumbled down the stairs to the cabin level instead of to the cockpit and upon reaching my room; I eagerly fell onto my bunk. A bit of shuffling and I was under the covers, shoes and pack on the floor.

Unlike on the tram though, sleep didn't come easy this time and when it did come it was rife with nightmares. Azul had a walk on role but the main star was Hojo as he crept over my incapacitated body, fingers poking me as a needle slid across my skin. In my nightmare I kept trying to push him away only for the chains that bound me to keep my hands down.

"My precious specimen," his voice slithered out of his mouth as a hand slowly pulled up my shirt. "Inject the specimen," he laughed as the needle slammed into my side and I jerked awake.

Groaning, I rolled onto my side on the bunk and clutched my once again aching side. I still had no clue what Hojo had injected me with but the more I thought of it the less likely it seemed that it would be WEAPON DNA. Thinking back to the cannon, even though I had run past bits and pieces of Sapphire, by the time I had gotten to the end of the cannon it had been clean of the gore, the body obviously having been reabsorbed by the Planet.

I thought of going to the ship's medic but decided against it, there really was nothing that could be done at this point unless he could filter all my blood and tissues and remove all foreign substances.

My armlet was still on with my Restore materia equipped so I cast a quick Cure on myself to ease the pain and fell back asleep.

The nightmare repeated two more times before Cait Sith entered my room to tell me we had arrived at the city and I eagerly slipped on my shoes, weapons, and pack. I had only had a few hours of sleep but I wasn't ready to fight another Hojo nightmare for more.

Vincent was up already in the early morning light and I found that I really was losing touch with what time of day it should be.

"Ohayou," I murmured as I joined him.

"Ohayou. O genki desu ka?"

"Bakkin wo k…" I couldn't finish the sentence since it would be a lie.

"Are you sure you feel alright?"

"No."

Vincent sighed but didn't press further. "Bugenhagen said he talked to you about trying to save Sephiroth."

Glancing out I saw the city and leaned heavily on the rail of the deck. "Yeah."

"Can you?"

"Maybe," I replied honestly. "Not his whole self, but what is truly left of him I might be able to free."

Vincent sighed slightly. "Better than what we could have hoped for otherwise."

"I'm going into the city," I announced as I kicked the rope ladder overboard.

Vincent shook his head then walked over to the communication panel on the deck. Several seconds later he joined me on the ground. "We all agreed that until this is over that you cannot go off alone."

"You're going to babysit a 25 year old?" My joke was flat but so was my mood at the moment.

Vincent didn't reply, just silently followed me into the city as I headed towards the prayer place and followed the stairs down to the underground. It was quiet and serene down here and I found that I longed for those earlier days when my biggest fear had been whether or not I would be able to keep Aeris alive. We were constantly moving back then, constantly on our feet, but it was oddly comforting.

We must have stood by that water for almost an hour before the Planet called to me that it was time and I turned to climb the stairs back to the surface then followed a spirit that appeared and guided me back along a path to what I knew was the water projector. Vincent followed silently as we passed several crumbling buildings then entered the room.

"Ho ho hoo!" called the voice of Bugenhagen from the podium where the key was to go. "Right on time it would seem!"

"Rachas!" Glancing over I managed a real smile when I saw Aeris, Cloud, Tifa, Zack, Yuffie, and Kunsel, all of them safe and well.

"Just set the Key here," Bugen instructed Zack who was the one holding the instrument as Aeris picked her way over to me. She hugged me and I returned the gesture.

"We were so worried," she told me as we continued over to where the projector stood as the Key began to turn and a water screen began to pour.

"You can talk later," Bugen declared impatiently. "The Planet has something it wants to tell her and only her."

"I know, it's just…"

"I'm not going anywhere," I reassured Aeris as I took a step onto the bridge that led to the projector. "We'll talk as soon as this is finished."

"A-alright," Aeris replied thickly as Vincent stepped up next to her.

Several steps took me into the projector and the water curtain closed behind me. The sound of rushing water was all I heard for a moment then a familiar voice spoke.

"_I'm glad you came."_

Glancing around I found Minerva had materialized beside me.

"Didn't think this would be necessary," I stated as I glanced around at the projector. "Aeris is alive, we all know that Holy has been cast, what could we be missing?"

"_I believe it is time to explain myself, and you, as far as why I brought you here."_

"You said I was an Earth version of a Cetra, one that showed the values of your own."

"_That was because I didn't think you were ready for the whole truth,"_ Minerva replied as her hand reached out and touched the water screen. _"Two thousand years ago, when the Calamity came, I asked my children to leave."_

"We heard the story. You wanted the Cetra to leave so you could heal your wound and deal with the threat."

"_I asked them to LEAVE,"_ Minerva emphasized the word leave then and where her fingers had touched the screen a planet appeared, but it wasn't just any planet.

"Earth." My voice shook slightly.

"_My plan when the outbreak began was to send my children to the planet to insure their survival. But it took so long to quell the infection caused by the Calamity that when it finally seemed safe to recall my children," _the scene changed to show a group of several hundred men and women. _"They had all passed away, as had their children and their children's children. Many generations passed before I felt their lives again, passed down through their children."_

"As in genes? An atavism?"

Minerva nodded. _"The heroes of Earth who ascended into the heavens, many of them were my children, many generations removed. King Arthur and his Knights as you knew them were amongst the first that I had the power to bring home."_ Now King Arthur, minus his helmet and his knights were on the screen. _"As the years passed, more children were born and I began to bring more home."_ More faces appeared of children and adults alike, most smiling, all of them with the small tick that I could tell was Cetra blood.

"The tales of people with magic being spirited away or taken by fairies."

"_That was one way the people of Earth tried to explain it,"_ Minerva admitted. _"I made myself stop bringing them almost thirty years ago."_

"Why?"

"_Shinra."_ This time the screen showed people being shoved into cells, crying, screams to be freed. _"They captured my children, put them in labs and tortured them. It was then that I saw how my children's race would end if I didn't do something."_

"You looked for… A Cetra descendant to help change things?"

Minerva nodded. _"My plan was to send the visions of the future to a person on Earth, a Cetra who couldn't be brought back. They wrote the story down and it turned into what you know as Final Fantasy VII. The point was to make a crop I could choose from who knew the story, who would do what they could to insure the survival of Aeris, of Zack, of all my children. I would have years to choose a candidate."_

"Why tell me this now?" Internally I was bordering on hysterical.

"_Because you truly view them as people now. You know this world is real. And you deserve to know why."_ Minerva turned her attention back on the screen. _"I can only bring my children back so long as there is a Cetra on this Planet. Waiting any longer than I did could have been disastrous."_

"Why not younger?" I demanded as I thought back on my childhood. "Why wait so long?"

"_You know how you were as a child. What would it have been like if I had brought you here as a child rather than a twenty-five year old?"_

I bit my tongue as I remembered my childhood. I would have gone charging up the streets screaming that I was lost, found someone who I thought looked like an officer and told them my address. And probably have found myself either in a hospital or a lab. At eight I was the child who understood how a compound pulley system worked and constructed one to try to build a tree house. Best case scenario I could think of if I had been brought here earlier was I'd be in an orphanage, hopefully keeping my mouth shut about the planet talking, going through school and possibly getting a scholarship. Worst case scenario had Hojo skipping through my head.

Minerva continued to speak. _"I want to bring my children home, but that will be impossible unless Shinra is stopped as well as Geostigma."_

"Cetra on Earth, not Earth Cetra," I repeated and found my head was pounding again.

The Goddess finally looked at me and seemed to realize how heavy my mind was already. _"A Cetra I adopted who was born on another world."_

The world was spinning around me now and the pain in my side was suddenly intense but it all stopped when Minerva's hand appeared and actually touched me.

"_You don't need to be afraid, our deal still stands. And Hojo wasn't successful with his intents," _she reassured me. _"That was all I needed to tell you for now."_

The water flow began to slow down, eventually becoming a trickle before stopping all together. Glancing at everyone else who had waited for me on the other side of the water, for the first time I felt a rush of familiarity. I was, at least in part, like them. Some part of me authentically belonged here.

"Boy do we have some catching up to do!" I called to Aeris as I jumped out of the projector. "And we need to make a plan."

"For what?" Aeris asked as I rejoined her and everyone else who had apparently moved to this area while I had been occupied.

"For rescuing Sephiroth's soul. I don't think I'll be able to do it alone."

Aeris's mouth dropped slightly but she smiled as Zack laughed out loud.

"Alright! So, how are you going to do it?" he asked.

"I was able to touch him previously, but that was just for a second. We need to make an authentic plan of action for cutting him out."

Yuffie didn't seem to care that there was already a conversation going on as she jumped on me.

"You're back!" she shouted. "How'd you get away? Did they do anything? Is that a new materia? Did you bring any other treasure?"

"Speaking of treasure," Red spoke up, "We did get something for Cloud enroute here that Rachas said he would find useful."

I grinned as I reached into my pack after disentangling myself from Yuffie and withdrew the Omnislash booklet and tossed it to Cloud. We had all the final limit breaks now that I knew of unless we really did need to raid the Gelnika in order to get Cid's. And I did want to acquire Hades now that I think about it. Everyone having a summon would be a plus when we faced the Calamity.

Cloud looked over the booklet for a moment before his eyes went wide and he flipped through the short piece haphazardly. Zack attempting to read over his shoulder broke his reverie.

"If everyone is ready to go, I suggest we get moving," Cloud stated as he shoved the book into one of his pockets.


	51. Chapter 51

Saria: Wow, 51 chapters! This is turning out to be longer than I thought it would be!

SA: And it's going to get a lot longer if you write everything you intend to.

Saria: I'LL DO IT!

Zas: Can we eat first?

Tori: No more California rolls, PLEASE?!

zzzzzzzzzz

The walk back to the Highwind was a loud one that involved Yuffie demanding details on how I managed to escape from Shinra's clutches and Tifa seemed just as interested. Everyone who had been with me on the Highwind had refrained from asking but it was apparent that they were also interested.

Zack had laughed when I admitted to jumping out of a helicopter, especially without a parachute.

"Looks like we're rubbing off on you!" he declared as he swatted my shoulder.

"Or I preferred being a smear to Hojo's presence," I quipped.

Red shook his head slightly. "That one is insane, most would probably do the same as you if given the choice."

Zack turned serious then. "Did he manage to inject you with anything?"

"A sedative," I admitted.

"Anything else?"

"Give her a while before asking something like that!" Tifa defended but I held up a hand.

"Yeah, Hojo had me injected with something called W-sample but I can't figure out what it is or what it is supposed to do."

"Should we have you checked by a doctor?" Aeris asked as we left the city.

"Doesn't sound like anything I recognize," Cloud added.

"Whatever he intended, Minerva assured me it didn't work. We have to prepare for what is to come though," I said in an effort to move the topic. "Aeris, we really need to step up your training, especially since we'll need to fight Jenova."

Aeris nodded as Yuffie bounced a bit.

"What about the rest of us? What are we going to do?" Yuffie demanded as we turned onto the main road that would lead us out of the city.

"Physically fight the Calamity."

"So… Kick its butt while you and Aeris do your thing?"

That comment gave me pause. My only thoughts up until this point were that Aeris and I enter Jenova's mind and cut out Sephiroth's soul which was a dangerous venture by itself. If Jenova was being attacked though she might be too distracted to notice us or focus on us and create a huge opening for everyone else. Or split her attention and try to deal with both fronts.

"Jenova is a tricky presence," Cloud stated. "She controlled me without me even knowing I was being controlled then when I did realize it I thought it to be Sephiroth for a while."

"She's old," Aeris admitted. "Mother's recording stated her to be a fantastic deceiver, fooling others into believing her a friend."

"Or in Sephiroth's case, a parent he longed for for his entire life," Kunsel added.

"We'll need to practice entering the minds of others again," I told Aeris. "Practice extracting things such as information."

"I ain't the test dummy this time!" Cid shouted.

"Test dummy?" Barret looked very interested.

"When Aeris was learning I had her test herself by having Cid serve lunch one day. I was the one responsible for the frilly pink apron he wore while doing it!"

"WHAT?!" Cid howled as Barret hooted with laughter. "RACHAS! Get your ass back here and fight like a man!" he shouted as I took off in the direction of the Highwind.

Cid ran after me but he was a smoker and I had speed. I had a great time running first to the airship and then circles around it as the howling captain gave chase until he had to stop, gasping for breath.

Yuffie was rolling with laughter on the deck of the Highwind when I climbed up while Kunsel stood by, laughing also. Most of AVALANCHE was laughing actually though that stopped moments later when the ground beneath the ship seemed to start shaking.

"Hey! What's going on?" Cloud yelped as he stared at the ground while Cid yelled and grabbed the rope ladder to steady himself.

"I'm… gonna be sick!" Yuffie declared as she stared at the bouncing ground.

_**Midgar**_

Reeve inwardly winced as he insured his crew of engineers had set the flow of the mako reactors at the appropriate levels prescribed by Scarlet's teams. Said blond issued her charmless guffaw from the doorway as she let herself into the room.

"Kya-ha-ha! You could watch this from the comfort of the executive lounge, you work-a-holic," she stated as she sashayed towards him.

Turning his head back to the controls, Reeve examined the output levels again and compared the pressure and temperature reading on the various gauges. "I prefer to keep an eye on things myself so I will know of any immediate problems."

The red woman gave an exaggerated sigh as she moved closer and attempted to lean on the control panel next to him, dipping forward slightly to expose even more of her chest. Reeve was proud of his people who recognized the importance of their project and ignored the woman.

"You've been colder for some time now," Scarlet told him. "Ever since just before Junon I've noticed the way you keep your distance. You almost act like a man who has lost sight of all women." Scarlet tried to press closer to him but Reeve stood his ground, shifting just enough to insure that she wasn't touching him. "It's very enticing," the woman silkily stated as she attempted to run a finger over the arm of the urban development manager.

For once Reeve jerked, yanking his arm away from the offending finger as he tried to keep his eyes on the controls before him.

"Kya-ha-ha. So loyal, but I do wonder to who?" Scarlet's honeyed tones grated on his nerves.

Reeve didn't look at her, he couldn't. He was certain he wouldn't be able to maintain a neutral expression if he did. "My loyalties are to insuring the people are provided for and able to peacefully continue their lives," he responded.

The head of Weapons groaned as she stood up straight, thankfully no longer attempting to molest him through gravity. "Usually the loyal ones are the most fun. Seeing them sweat as they try to maintain their virtue, especially when distance separates them from their lovers. I wonder how well you'll manage once she is captured."

Reeve froze at Scarlet's words and had to remind himself that though the woman was unpleasant, promiscuous, and likely to sleep with a behemoth if it meant getting ahead, she had to have some sort of intelligence to get where she was at to go along with her immoral behavior.

"Kya-ha-ha! We have plans for them you know, all of them. Once Sephiroth is dealt with and Meteor destroyed, the Ancients, former SOLDIERs, and the Turk will be sent to labs. What we will be able to produce from them will prevent Shinra from ever being opposed again! The rest of them, what exciting executions they shall have! Punishment will be meted out for this mess and we'll have a clean start."

Scarlet turned and sauntered towards the door. "Maybe you should think of where your true loyalties lie until then. After all, you wouldn't be too easy to replace but that doesn't mean irreplaceable."

An alarm went off as Scarlet exited the room and his workers all seemed to come to life.

"One of the WEAPONs has risen from the sea to the north of Midgar!" One of the men exclaimed. "It seems to be headed straight for us!"

Tensing, Reeve reached under the sleeve of the arm Scarlet had attempted to touch and brushed the small transceiver he had begun to carry with him for sending alerts to Cait Sith.

_**Normal**_

Cid had raced to the cockpit the moment he was able to climb the ladder to the airship, everyone except Kunsel and Yuffie following him into the ship.

"The hell is happening?" Cid yelled as he charged into the bridge.

"Not certain sir!" Drix called from his workstation. "Instruments are getting interference though, something on the ship!"

The instrument panels flickered and blinked erratically, the display was actually a bit alarming.

"Sorry! It was a transmission to me from Reeve!" Cait Sith declared. "An emergency: WEAPON has risen from the sea and is headed straight for Midgar!"

"Don't you guys have any way to stop it?" Cloud asked.

"There is a weapon but I don't know if it's ready or not…"

Everyone glanced at each other, not entirely certain. Barret already knew Marlene wasn't in Midgar so he didn't say anything.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Zack demanded as he hopped up. "WEAPON is headed toward a city, we should do something!"

"Have you forgotten already what Shinra has done to a number of us?" Tifa demanded.

"So you abandon everyone else in Midgar for what a few did?" Cait Sith demanded. "I've been wanting to say this for a while to several of you, but when you blew up the No. 1 reactor how many folks d'ya think died?"

Tifa bit her bottom lip and Barret spoke up for her. "That was for the life of the planet. Ya gotta expect a few casualties."

"So we abandon innocent people right now?" I asked as Cait Sith slouched slightly.

"Barret, Cait's right!" Zack declared as he stepped up next to the robotic cat. "We bombed a reactor and killed innocent people who were just trying to live their lives. We claim to be saving the planet but our actions aren't any better than Shinra!"

"How could'ya compare us to Shinra?" Barret demanded.

"They let innocent people die when they dropped a plate to try to kill us," Cloud also stepped up along with Cait and Zack.

Cait Sith now looked hopefully from Zack to Cloud to me.

Tifa finally nodded. "We all know what we did in Midgar, it wasn't forgotten." She then stepped up next to Cloud. "The reason your operator doesn't quit the company is because he's worried about the people in Midgar, right?"

"Not just them," Cait confirmed. "By staying he is able to protect you guys to a certain extent."

Cloud nodded. "I say we go and beat WEAPON ourselves. It's important to a number of us."

Cid looked a bit intrepid. "Cloud, you think we can win against that monster? We got a chance of winnin', right?"

"Course we do!" Zack declared only for Aeris to put a hand on his shoulder.

Cloud glanced at Zack before taking a step forward. "I don't know, but that's no reason for us to just let it go!"

"So how are we going to do this?" Red asked as Cid directed Ran over the mountains to the open sky.

"It's on the water right now so we should be able to attack with the Highwind and summons," Vincent offered.

Remembering what I had thought of previously for summons, I dug into my pack and pulled out Ramuh and Neo Bahamut. I passed them to Zack and Tifa respectively.

"Those are my two extra summons," I informed them. "Zack has Ramuh, Tifa has Neo Bahamut. I still have Shiva and Leviathan."

"Thanks," Zack called as he equipped the summon and raced out of the bridge.

I lingered for a moment longer as we rose over the mountains and headed towards Midgar before turning to go join everyone else on deck, insuring I had both Leviathan and Shiva equipped.

WEAPON didn't come into sight immediately; it was actually almost two hours before we caught sight of the monster as it neared the shore of the East Continent.

"HOLY FUCK!" Barret yelled when he caught sight of the thing. "That motha is big!"

"Yikes!" Yuffie yelped as we all stared.

I glanced around at everyone and found it quite likely that everyone's thought probably ran along the same tangent as mine which was "How are we supposed to fight this thing?!"

"Ummm… Rachas, you have a water-based summon, right?" Cloud asked and I nodded. I was the only one with a water based summon so it seemed the smart choice for starting.

Sending magic into the summon orb, we watched as Leviathan took form over the water near WEAPON. She refused to get close but twisted majestically over the water, using her power to cause a humungous tsunami to form. The wave swept quickly at the monster, looking to gain strength every second before smashing into Diamond. The monster stumbled a bit but continued on its merry way.

"Hah! Well eat this!" Cid shouted as he threw his own arm forward and cast. Bahamut took form above us so we didn't see it until it swooped down, jaw already open to launch Mega Flare. The blast seemed about as effective as Leviathan's wave though.

"Well crap!" Cid grumbled as he yanked the cigarette out of his mouth then reached over and grabbed the intercom. "Get ready to open fire!" he shouted before charging back into the airship.

Tifa and Red both summoned next, Neo Bahamut and Alexander taking form, the dragon once again overhead while Alexander seemed to rise from the depths of the ocean. Despite that I had always thought Alexander was the slower summon, it managed to attack first, its Holy based attack crashing into the form of WEAPON, actually jarring it enough to cause it to turn and smash one of its fists into the summon before turning to continue its march on Midgar.

Neo Bahamut's attack struck at the same time as Cid decided to open fire on WEAPON, the Giga Flare attack being made more spectacular by the missiles that were launched. WEAPON did a bit more than slip at that point; it actually seemed to lose its balance for a moment. Diamond turned its head at the Highwind now, actually acknowledging us for once, and blew a blue missile-like projectile at us.

The Highwind swerved sharply to avoid being hit and everyone on deck was thrown from their feet. Red howled as I fell into him and out of the corner of my eye I saw Zack grab the railing, Kunsel and Tifa grabbing his legs for support while Aeris was aided by Barret.

"Screw this crap!" Cid's voice shouted over the ship's intercom as we all regained our feet. "We're fightin' this sucker on the ground!"

"Thank Leviathan!" Yuffie exclaimed and I saw that she had a double handful of Vincent's cloak, having probably grabbed it during the evasive maneuver.

"Fine by me," Cloud agreed.

The Highwind turned in a rush of air then and descended towards the nearby shore where Cloud, Kunsel, Zack, and Vincent did their normal disembarking procedure of jumping overboard while the rest of us grabbed lines and lowered ourselves. Cid was the last down since he had to run to the deck from the cockpit. The Highwind flew a short distance away while the twelve of us readied ourselves to face the enormous WEAPON.

The ground shook as WEAPON took its first steps on the continent, water swirling around its feet on the beach. The thing towered above us, a monstrous being covered in hard plates and I felt my eye twitch at just the thought of us really trying to fight this thing, but we needed to do it!

"HAH!" Barret shouted as he jumped forward first, his gunarm raining bullets at WEAPON that bounced harmlessly off the shell-like armor of the beast. Vincent also fired a shot though most likely he was actually aiming. Unlike Barret he didn't continue to fire though.

"We need to find a weakness in those plates," he announced.

Zack hefted his Buster sword proudly. "We can do that!" he shouted then charged at WEAPON.

Seeing that Diamond was still technically in the sea, I aimed Hell Blizzaga at the water and launched spell after spell, hoping to either trap or entangle the feet of WEAPON. I was partially successful in that I was able to keep it from advancing for all of five seconds.

A strange feeling overcame me then, like a veil that made me temporarily invincible. Glancing over, I saw Aeris with her hands folded before her, obviously in prayer. I wasn't too familiar with her limit breaks but this seemed a powerful one.

Cloud and Kunsel obviously thought so too because they both charged in along with Tifa, Cid, and Yuffie. Yuffie called something to Cid and leaped at him. He caught her feet with his spear and launched her high as he leaped himself and angled his attack downward as Yuffie launched her shuriken.

Tugging Contain from my pack, I equipped the materia and pushed my magic into it as the screech of various weapons reached my ears as they pounded on the hard shell of our opponent. I aimed high myself and saw the massive ice crystals form and smash themselves at the head of the monster.

"Everyone get back!" Kunsel shouted as he shoved Yuffie back as Diamond lifted a foot and attempted to stomp on the two. "Physical attacks aren't working!"

A howl next to me caused me to jump a bit as Red cast a spell and a fireball formed and flew at Diamond. It splashed against the shell almost harmlessly.

Cait Sith let loss a megaphone scream then to cover everyone as they retreated a bit from the monster. This actually seemed to work in that Diamond's attention was temporarily gained and it fired another of its blue missiles at the robot.

"Wah!" Cait cried as he attempted to jump out of the way but his mog slipped on the loss sand. The robot was saved though by Red who jumped over and managed to shove the pair out of the blast's path.

Barret stopped his assault to dodge a blue missile himself then glanced around at out scattered forces. "Any plans?" he shouted at me.

"Magic?" I suggested as I cast another Freeze spell at the monster thought it seemed to have little effect. "Summons?" This time I called Leviathan again and the serpent materialized behind the WEAPON.

Leviathan twisted and I suddenly realized this was a rather poor choice on my behalf as the wave rose.

Kunsel noticed also. "Take cover!" he screamed at everyone as the wave rose higher than ever and raced towards Diamond and by extension us.

Zack grabbed Aeris as he planted his sword while Cloud also planted his sword. Kunsel and Yuffie both grabbed a rock and Tifa grabbed one also. Vincent planted his claw into the ground while Cid planted his spear and Barret grabbed on as well. Red and Cait Sith were next to me as I felt the power flow through me and prepared to try to separate the wave as I had done previously in Junon. That proved to be unnecessary because the wave broke down Diamond and extended no further. The joys of magic!

Everyone was blinking in surprise at not getting drenched when Diamond WEAPON stepped past us like we were nothing.

"What's it doing?" Tifa asked as she stared at the thing in shock. "Is it looking for something?"

"No…" Cloud shook his head, his eyes a bit hazy. "It… senses something. Murder."

"Hey!" I screamed after the thing. "Get back here! It's going to attack Midgar!"

"To my ship!" Cid yelled as he jerked his spear from the ground. Everyone nodded and turned to follow him when I noticed a glowing on my wrist. A glance confirmed it was the materia for Leviathan.

Jerking it out of its slot, I watched the glow intensify then the materia seemed to splinter, a second orb appearing that I barely caught. I had mastered Leviathan.

"Rachas, get the lead out!" Cid shouted as I shoved the mastered materia into a pocket and equipped the new materia. I would give it to Yuffie later.

The Highwind crew understood that we had done what we could and quickly came to pick us up though they tried to fire one final salvo of missiles at WEAPON. They exploded harmlessly on the skirt-like hind plate of the monster and it didn't even bother to glance back.

_**Shinra**_

Rufus stared out the bay window of his office that overlooked his city. This particular one faced north, almost straight down the sight of the new cannon. He was aware of the WEAPON that was headed their way but was unconcerned about it; it would be dealt with as soon as they had that barrier protecting the North Crater destroyed.

"Bwa-ha-ha! Mr. President, the preparations for Sister Ray are now in order!" Heidegger's voice called through the conference line that he had had set up. Those people his father was foolish enough to allow so close wouldn't step into this office again if Rufus had any say in the matter.

"Kya-ha-ha!" brayed the donkey woman. "Anytime is fine!"

Rufus chuckled slightly before turning back to the window. "…Fire."

The young President stared through his window as the machine below seemed to flutter to life, pressure building as hydraulic levers along the barrel went through intake strokes. Throughout the city, the eight reactors seemed to erupt as mako burst through pressure vents before feeding into the lines that fed the cannon and the entire city went dark as power was temporarily lost in all quadrants. The only light began to shine from the tip of the cannon and in the dusk it glowed brilliantly. The levers moved settled then on compression positions and he knew the mako was being compressed into a shell, one that his teams believed would break the barrier over the North Crater.

A spectacular halo of white, purple, and blue formed at the end of the cannon, spiraling into a brilliant mass that intensified to blue white before it fired with window shattering force and noise.

Even within his office Rufus felt that vibrations and could honestly say he was somewhat surprised that his own windows hadn't shattered as well. So, this is what several hours' worth of compressed mako felt like.

_**Normal**_

We were circling high above Diamond WEAPON now as it continued its trek over land.

"What're we going to do?" Aeris yelled as her eyes shifted from WEAPON to the distant city of Midgar.

As though to answer, the plating on WEAPON's back lifted to reveal structures that looked a lot like rocket launchers. A golden light gathered and I realized it was gathering power from the Lifestream, similar to how Aeris and I did as it prepared to fire. The salvos of gold-white shells were launched but it felt like I was deaf because of how little noise there was.

"What direction?" Tifa asked as she leaned over the railing but Kunsel was quick to cut her off.

"Midgar!"

All eyes cut towards Midgar then and we watched as the golden trailed blasts passed a blue-white blast heading in the opposite direction. The blue-white cannon blast struck Diamond full in the chest and through the Planet I heard the scream of Diamond as the blast carved its way through the Planet's protector.

The lack of physical noise from the launching of Diamond's attack was made up for as it fell with a resounding "BOOM" as the blast from Sister Ray continued its course.

"Damn…" Barret murmured.

"It went right through WEAPON!" Red was wide eyed like the rest of us.

"They're after Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled and we all turned to face the north as the blast held course.

It skimmed over the mountains, glowing just as brilliant a blue-white as ever, moving at unbelievable speed. We didn't get a true view of when it collided with the shield that was protecting Jenova but we all saw the eruption that lit up the sky. It was disconcerting, almost like watching fireworks without hearing the resulting noise. I felt the result though the moment the barrier went down. Jenova's taint seemed to seep out like a foul odor.

Vincent grabbed my arm, his eyes searching and I nodded slightly. "There was a barrier but it's down now. I can sense them."

_**Midgar**_

The moment that he heard that WEAPON had opened fire; Reeve had ordered an evacuation of his engineers from the site of the cannon. The control room still had full staff but they should be protected here. Glancing around, he moved to the surveillance room so he could be prepared to send support troops wherever it may end up being necessary. He was given a firsthand view of the barrage that struck Midgar.

His engineers ran through the streets, yelling for people to get inside as they themselves took cover. Doors and garages were shut and windows barricaded as the blasts began to fly over the city.

The first blast struck a corner of the building and he felt the structure shudder a bit as more came. It was surprising though how out of so many blasts most missed, only two more hitting in fact. One struck an unoccupied portion of the Shinra building while the last…

"Send a rescue team to the President's office!" Reeve shouted to an attendant who rushed to the emergency phone.

"What happened, yo?" A new voice called and Reeve was surprised to see Reno push his way into the room.

"WEAPON attacked, the President's office was hit," the attendant said automatically, both to the crew on the phone and to the Turk.

"Shit!" Reno declared as he yanked out his PHS. "Rude! We need to get to the top floor, stat yo!"

_**Normal**_

"Are you sure Sephiroth is still around?" Cloud demanded and Aeris responded with a nod.

"He's being held by Jenova and I can definitely sense her," she reported as she stared to the north.

Zack bounced slightly. "So, we still have a chance?"

"Definitely. This just opened the path for us to actually get into the crater where the Calamity is."

"Then we're going now!" Cloud announced.

I turned to face him. "I haven't had time to prep Aeris, we go now we might stop Jenova but Sephiroth-"

"If we wait how many more people will die?" Cloud demanded. "Weigh the number of lives here versus the one soul you are trying to save. Sephiroth is already dead!"

"We have a few hours," Aeris reassured me. "We can practice for a few hours and still try."

"I'll volunteer as the target." Bugenhagen floated in.

"You said that you don't have the mental ability," I said as confusion set in.

"Ho ho hoo!" Bugenhagen grinned slightly. "I never could attack the mind of another, but my own mind is well trained to defend against intrusion. I'm eager to see if I'm as able as I was thirty years ago before the last student was carted away by Shinra."

"Fine, let's get to this."

"We'll call you guys when we get there," Zack called after us as Aeris, Bugen, and I all left the bridge and headed to the meeting room where we closed and locked the doors.

"The best way to practice this will be by trying to extract information from your target," Bugen stated as we settled into the room. "I have no intent of going easy on either of you. When you invaded the Calamity before Rachas you caught her by surprise most likely. It won't be so easy to enter a guarded mind."

Both Aeris and I nodded as we prepared ourselves.

"I'm going to focus on three things, a color, a number, and a name. Try to collect all three before I can kick you out. Well then, at your leisure ladies!"

I tried to enter his mind gently but found the way blocked and each attempt to enter through a crack was thoroughly in vain. I pressed hard but to no avail.

"Now girls, this isn't a friendly technique that you're supposed to be trying, it's an attack."

Realizing what he meant, I withdrew for a moment. I had been trying to do this like I was invading a regular person and not cause pain. In this situation pain was an ally! Reforming my attack as an actual attack, I smashed at Bugen's defense and sliced into his thoughts. He may have years of practice and training, but I actually had talent in this!

My mind raced through his and crashed against yet another barrier but once again I managed to slice my way through it. I had just found what I thought was the number before an enormous pressure struck me and I was forced out.

My body jerked as I returned to it after the assault.

"Ho ho hoo! Very good, you almost had it!" Bugen announced, his voice grating on the headache I was sporting though it was probably nothing compared to his. Beside me Aeris shifted and offered me a cup of water.

"How'd you do?" I asked quietly after taking a sip.

"I couldn't break through," she replied. "It's too new for me, I can't get enough force."

"We're practicing this because of that," Bugenhagen told her as he called a cup of water to himself and took a long drink. "But it seems you might not be as balanced as I first thought. How did your first subjects fare?"

"They screamed until they lost consciousness," I replied then swallowed the bad taste that formed in my mouth.

"Bugenhagen shook his head. "Well, if you can't sense the talent of another, I suppose you make up for it elsewhere."

"So that was powerful?" Aeris asked and Bugen nodded.

"Average just causes a headache on their target with their first attempts. A talented individual has a mind that easily overwhelms their first targets and they have to learn to hold back."

"Aren't we a circle, someone who specializes in foresight, one with talent in mental invasion, and one with all skills except that one." My comment drew a dry laugh from Bugen.

"Alright girls, enough talking. Let's try that again."

_**AVALANCHE**_

No one was entirely surprised when Zack stayed near the conference room that the three had locked themselves into. There was hardly any noise coming from the room so he entertained himself by performing squats. He had just passed the three hundred mark when Kunsel approached.

"Hey, any movement in there?" Kunsel asked.

The dark haired former SOLDIER glanced at the door then shook his head. He had been going at a rather slow pace on his squats so he had been out here for over thirty minutes now but had nothing to report.

"Do you really think they could do it?" Kunsel asked as he leaned against the railing.

Zack shrugged as he bent his knees to go down for another squat. "Really don't know, but they're willing to take the chance," he replied as he straightened back into a standing position.

"But what are the risks to them?" Kunsel asked as his eyes once again roved towards the door. "They're going to enter the mind of a monster that is thousands of years old in an attempt to rescue as Cloud so eloquently put it: someone who is already dead."

"It's their choice," Zack straightened into a standing position now and didn't continue with his exercise.

"Well what happens after? Even if they are successful, what then?"

"Guess we'll find out. So, when should we get to the North Crater?"

Kunsel sighed as he leaned back but had to fight a grin. Zack was Zack after all. "The Navigator estimated five hours. Cid is having them go top speed for short bursts though and so that will probably shave an hour and a half off."

"So, three hours?"

Kunsel nodded as he stared at the door. "I don't know what they can achieve in three hours, but I'm hoping they make some good of this."

_**Normal**_

Hours passed without us making much progress. I refused to smash at Bugenhagen's mind with everything I had and Aeris couldn't muster the force to break in. We eventually figured out a way to pattern our attacks, mainly in that I created the openings and Aeris followed me in, sneaking through Bugen's mind to retrieve the information while I took his focus.

With any luck we should be able to employ the strategy against Jenova while she was fighting everyone in the real world.

"I'm done," Bugenhagen finally announced and I couldn't blame him. He was a tough old man, withstanding as many assaults as he had from me. I doubted the headache I had experienced from Aeris's first attempt at entering the mind of another was anything in comparison to his.

Rising from the table, both Aeris and I noticed that the old man stayed exactly where he was seated.

"Are you going to be okay? Should I heal you?" Aeris asked but was waved away.

"Just need a few minutes," Bugen replied as he nursed his head. "This reminds me of the good old days."

"Makes me wonder how lousy those old days were," I stated as I walked from the room.

The first place I headed was to the restroom. As I was splashing my face with a bit of water a chilling presence pushed at my mind. It was a clear indication of just how close to the North Crater we were. It was also time to start putting my sword together.

Walking through the ship, I tried to think of where I could possibly smash the mastered Leviathan materia. I didn't have tools in my cabin, the chocobo stable wouldn't have heavy tools nor would the meeting room. My thoughts eventually led me to the engine room where I found a heavy hammer and a c-frame. A quick kitchen raid got me a mortar and pestle.

Setting the tools on a table, I pulled out the mastered materia and stared into the orb, offering an apology to the spirit of Leviathan for what I was about to do before setting the orb into the c-frame and hefting the hammer. It took three strikes for the materia to finally break then I scooped all the fragments into the mortar and began the slow process of grinding it down into a fine powder with the pestle. The entire time I focused on the power and poured a small amount of magic into shattered materia, urging it to not lose its magic.

Finally, the powder reached the consistency and potency described in the scroll and I pulled out my hilt and gently poured powder in. The pulverized materia flashed as it entered the hilt then seemed to adhere to the inside of the sword.

Pulling out the crystal from King Arthur, I glanced over the hilt, trying to figure out where it could belong then realized that the sword wasn't complete. I didn't have all the ingredients that would make this my blade specifically. It was at a useable point now but would not be a full sword.

Groaning, I put the crystal away then tucked the hilt back into my belt, instantly feeling better knowing that I had a working blade, at least in theory.

Jerking the hilt back out, I focused on the hilt with the power. It took a moment then the hilt seemed to come alive in my hand as a blade of green-blue light came into existence.

Releasing a sigh of relief, I let the blade fade from existence. That was one thing off my mind so why did I suddenly feel sick?

_**Midgar**_

Reeve sighed as he stepped out of the elevator and headed for the meeting room. A messenger had found him several minutes ago as he had finished with monitoring the cool down for the reactors. Apparently Heidegger and Scarlet felt that now was a good time to hold meetings rather than carry out rescue efforts and calm the people or evacuate.

He had had several minutes to stop by his office at least and equip the microphone that allowed Cait Sith to hear everything that was going on. He didn't know why, just a feeling that he was going to need it. It was as he was leaving his office that a strange report popped up on his computer.

Sure enough, the two were already waiting for him to arrive.

"Scarlet! Heidegger! What's going on?" he asked, attempting to sound cordial while at the same time emphasizing the importance of moving quickly.

"I can't reach the President," Heidegger replied and the glint in his eyes made Reeve seriously uncomfortable.

"Not the President, to Sister Ray!" Reeve replied as he felt his patience begin to slip.

Scarlet smirked. "Kya-ha-ha! What is it Reeve? You're speaking strangely." The two were both laughing now.

Reeve shook his head, disbelieving that people could be like this. "None of that matters! The reactors output is increasing by itself!"

Scarlet for once looked shocked. "W-wait a minute. That's not wise! It must cool for three more hours or it won't work! Reeve, shut off that machine!"

"We can't," Reeve informed her. "It's inoperable!"

A phone went off then and Scarlet grabbed it, listened for a moment, and then switched to speaker. The caller was in a bit of a panic. "Someone has switched the machine to mainframe operation!" a voice said hurriedly. "We can't operate it from the control room!"

"The mainframe!" Reeve declared in horror. "Who?!" Turning to Heidegger, Reeve ordered, "Call the mainframe!"

Heidegger actually lifted his PHS to his ear, intent to do as told for a moment before stopping. "Huh? Why are you giving orders?" the bearded man demanded.

Reeve didn't have the time for this as he walked over to the man. "I don't give a damn about the details!" he declared as he grabbed the PHS from the man. The voice he heard creeped him out completely and he wondered if Cait Sith was relaying everything to AVALANCHE.

"Ha ha ha… Just you wait, Sephiroth! I'll give you all the mako you want."

"Hojo, stop!" Reeve ordered over the phone. "The cannon, no, Midgar itself is in danger!"

"Ha ha ha… One or two Midgars? …it's a small price to pay!"

Reeve bit his cheek as he realized for the first time just what level of monster Hojo was. Willing to kidnap and experiment on people as well as sacrifice millions of lives? This was beyond sick.

"Hojo? HOJO!?" he shouted.

"Show me… Sephiroth," the man grunted. "It should be near… Ha ha ha… Go beyond the powers of science! Before your presence, science is powerless… I hate it but I'll concede to it…"

Reeve stared wide eyed at the PHS as Hojo's ramblings continued then glanced at both Heidegger and Scarlet. Both of them looked severely uncertain, perhaps even torn over what to do.

Then Scarlet lifted her PHS to her ear and pressed in a number that Reeve couldn't see though internally he breathed a sigh of relief. She had to be calling Weapons to deploy something to stop Hojo.

"Call the troops," he told Heidegger as he handed the PHS back to the man before an alert came to him through the device he had equipped. Glancing down, relief shot through his body.

"Looks like Cloud and the others are on their way," he reported. "Stay out of the way."

Now the glint was back in Heidegger's eyes as well as Scarlet's.

"Gya-ha-ha! Don't be ludicrous!" Heidegger declared. "I don't recall you giving me any orders! The Peace Preservation will give their best effort to make the enemy retreat! Because of them I… I…"

Scarlet was now guffawing at Heidegger's embarrassment.

"That's a private matter," Reeve pointed out though he was disregarded.

"The President is dead! Now I'm doing things my way! Gya-ha-ha!"

"Kya-ha-ha! Heidegger! Now I'm going to use the new weapon!" Scarlet announced as she punched in front of her, obviously itching for a fight. "As for this traitor…"

A figure that Reeve was certain was a man came through the door then, a figure that matched the description that Cait Sith had provided him for the one from Deepground called Restrictor. His eyes widened as he realized who Scarlet must have called.

"Is this the one?" the man asked and Scarlet nodded.

"This is the traitor," Scarlet confirmed and before Reeve could move, a hard fist slammed into his unguarded stomach, knocking his wind out and causing him to crumple to the floor.

_**Normal**_

The bridge was mostly silent when I stepped in with everyone focused on Cait Sith.

"Is this the one?" a voice came from the robot and I felt myself freeze. That was the voice of Restrictor!

"This is the traitor," Scarlet's voice replied and my heart pounded in my ears. The audio feed cut off a moment later and then it was just Cait Sith.

"You'll still come, won't you?" the little cat asked as it faced Cloud.

Cloud walked over and kneeled down to the cat's level. "I know."

Everyone nodded their inclusion except for me, at that moment I was clutching the rail next to the door, my breaths coming in short, panicked bursts before I forced myself to step on the panic as solidly as I could. Glancing around the bridge helped me focus; I was a pilot after all.

We could save Reeve, we had to!


	52. Chapter 52

Saria: Wow, over 50 chapters in five months…

SA: That is no record Saria.

Saria: For me it is! None of my other fics are even remotely this long!

Zas: Guess you have something new to aspire to once this is finished.

Tori: You mean like finding inspiration for Baby Madness?

Now shout outs that I think are in order!

Acebrainbuster: Good luck with college and please update soon!

Solyeuse: Believe it or not, I'm just feeling inspired. No buffer.

xxOMGgalxx: Faithful as always! I love your reviews!

Dragoon109: Never seen the Winx Club. But I think you dig a little too deep.

zzzzzzzzzz

I pretended to not have heard the transmission from Cait Sith, like I had walked onto the bridge right as Cloud and everyone else agreed to go to Midgar.

"So, why are we going all the way back to Midgar?" I asked in order to play that ruse.

Several of them exchanged looks before Cid called out an answer.

"That shithead Hojo took over the cannon and is threatenin' to destroy Midgar!"

"Why do the depths of his depravity fail to surprise me?" I asked flatly, pretending I didn't notice Aeris shooting Zack and Tifa a worried look. "Since we're going all the way back I'm going to try to grab a few hours of sleep."

Turning, I walked out of the bridge as my ears began to ring again. I broke into a run that took me down to my cabin within seconds when I was halfway down the hallway to the stairs. Throwing my pack down, I fell on the bed. I should have brought Reeve with me when I escaped Midgar, had him evacuate, something! Now he might be…

Swallowing the lump that formed in my throat, I pushed the thought out of my head. No one had bothered to say anything about Reeve and they probably wouldn't by the time we got to Midgar. Doubtless there was bound to be either a trap and/or my friends would try to make me stay on the airship. You may not have to rescue Reeve in the game, but damn if I wasn't going to try.

Cait Sith would definitely head for the Shinra building when we landed, I knew that much. When you played the game, if Cloud went to the Shinra building then you saw Cait Sith come bounding out of the building which must have been when Reeve freed himself.

Burying my head into my pillow, I breathed hard for a moment and tried to calm my thoughts, possibly even actually let myself fall asleep but I was wide awake.

A knock on my door called my attention and I shifted to my side before calling out, "Come in."

Tifa was the one on the other side of the door which was kind of surprising. If someone was going to talk to me I would have thought that it would be Aeris or perhaps Kunsel.

"Hey," she said gently as she walked into the room and took a seat on the chair. "Listen Rachas, the rest of us were talking and Cid thinks you should take charge of the Highwind while the rest of us enter Midgar and deal with Hojo."

I stared at her and affected an incredulous look. "You want the one with an engineering degree to sit out when Hojo is threatening Midgar?"

Tifa worried her lower lip for a moment before answering. "Consider what you went through recently at the hands of Shinra and Hojo. It might be best for you not to be involved tomorrow."

"Too many people vying for the right to tear out Hojo's throat?" I offered.

Tifa sighed heavily. "It's more along the lines of we're afraid of you being dragged off again while everyone is clamoring over who has the most right to kill Hojo."

"Kunsel was a target too," I pointed out.

"But you were the one they seemed most intent on," Tifa pointed out.

"I was the only one they recognized at the moment."

"We just don't want you to be captured again." The brunette martial artist shifted slightly as she said this and I wouldn't have needed my mind reading abilities to know that she was withholding something from me.

"Did something happen?"

Tifa stood as she shook her head. "No, nothing you need to worry about. We'll take care of it."

Tifa left then and I shifted on my bunk to try to get comfortable. The others intended to keep me out of the loop. They really underestimated me if they thought this would work.

_**AVALANCHE**_

"I still think she should know," Kunsel stated as Tifa walked back onto the bridge. "She'll worry but she is completely capable of making and adhering to a plan."

"Plans go out the window the moment someone you care for is in danger," Zack snapped. "We need to deal with Hojo first when we get to Midgar then we rescue Reeve."

"If he's livin'," Barret muttered.

Tifa groaned. "Barret, don't be like that!"

Cloud cleared his throat then and called attention. "First off, how are we going to get into Midgar? I don't think they're going to welcome us through the front gates."

Cid had the answer to that. "Hah, easy! We use those parachutes again."

"Once there we can use the underground tunnels to move around," Cait Sith explained.

"Alright, so how long do we have before we'll get to Midgar?" Zack asked.

Drix checked the average speed and the distance they had to cover. "About three hours sir! The Highwind is being pushed hard right now."

Cloud nodded at the news before turning to the others. "Everyone get whatever you feel is necessary done. Get some sleep, eat something, but be prepared to jump as soon as we reach Midgar."

_**Midgar**_

Reno groaned as he finally gave up on trying to shovel away the debris caused from that attack by WEAPON. The rescue crews had given up over an hour ago when after so many hours of work they still weren't able to get past the 68th floor. Beside him Rude groaned lowly as he attempted to shift another steel beam only for still more debris to fall on them, taking the place of what Reno had just cleared.

"Rude, just stop yo," Reno said as he glared at the ceiling. "Wonder if we should try getting there with a chopper."

"Couldn't hurt," Rude replied before his PHS went off. Tugging out the phone he answered the call and listened to whatever the person on the other side had to say before hanging up.

"Who was that, yo?" Reno asked as he pulled off his jacket to help cool down.

"Orders. AVALANCHE is coming this way. We are to collect Elena." Turning, the bald Turk marched down the hall back to the stairs.

"Hey, can't just abandon the boss, yo!" Reno yelled as he followed.

Rude shrugged at the other Turk. "Tseng said not to worry about him, and that Heidegger has ordered for us to seek out AVALANCHE."

The red head's shoulders slumped slightly at the news. If Tseng was the one calling that meant the boss was either found or dead.

"So, AVALANCHE huh? Been a while since we saw them, yo," Reno said as he followed Rude down the debris strewn stairs to the elevators.

Rude was his usual silent self as he called the elevator and selected the lobby.

"Think they'll actually show up here?" Reno asked his partner but only received a shrug in response. "Who is in charge now anyway, yo? The boss is MIA and neither Scarlet nor Heidegger seem good choices to me."

_**Normal**_

It was difficult but I did manage to get a little over an hour of sleep mixed in with my fears and anxiety. After waking I did the most relaxing activity I could think of at the time: imagined the many gruesome deaths I would rain upon Rufus and Hojo if Reeve died.

The sky outside was pitch black when the voices of the Planet began to pick up in pain before going almost silent and I knew we were close. Idly I wondered at the time and began to realize just how little sleep any of us had likely been getting recently. The wonders of stress.

Turning my senses outward, I felt it as everyone began to collect on the bridge and head up to the deck for their jump into Midgar. Reaching for my pack, I yanked out my notebook, food, canteens, anything that I felt wouldn't be absolutely essential. It was quickly organized on the desk before I slung my pack on and checked that I had everything that I could possibly need.

Inertia from slow down hit as I scooted along the hall to the stairs. Everyone else would be jumping any moment now.

Running up the stair to the deck, I stopped for a moment to check the supply closet where the parachutes were kept and found it empty. Damn, they knew I would try something like this. Kunsel had probably removed all the extra parachutes hidden them with orders that I was not to be told where they were.

Luckily I no longer seemed to need those. The Highwind was still low over Midgar and going relatively slow.

As I prepared to jump the guard rail of the Highwind deck, my PHS chose to go off. Assuming it was either Cloud or someone wanting to make one last check on me, I pulled out the bulky device and brought it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"We know you're here." It was that Restrictor person's voice. "We have the traitor. If you value his life, then come."

The line went dead before I could demand any locations or to hear Reeve to insure he was alive.

My teeth chattered as I took a running start then jumped from the deck and called to the power, slowing and guiding my fall to the city below.

_**AVALANCHE**_

Traversing the underground of Midgar wasn't as easy as Cloud would have expected it to be. For some reason he expected well maintained corridors like what they had somewhat encountered when they had gone to bomb the Sector 5 reactor. What he had found thus far seemed more like a demented jungle gym. He called it a relief when the eleven of them passed through an air duct and finally descended a short ladder into a much more familiar looking corridor.

"So which way?" Barret asked as he glanced up and down the tunnel.

Kunsel was the one to answer. "That way," he said as he pointed towards where the tunnel curved away. "We should get closer by going that way."

"You certain?" Cid asked as he fished out a small compass then shoved it back into his pocket. "Too much metal."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Kunsel replied.

"Then let's get going," Cloud said as he took a step in the indicated direction.

"Oh no! They're here!" a familiar voice called out and all of them turned to see three figures walking towards them. Leading them was a now familiar blond. "What are we going to do?! I think its okay for you to ignore your orders now."

Reno sauntered up behind, his suit messy than usual. "…Elena, don't act so weak." The red haired Turk's eyes roved over the group.

"We're Turks, Elena," stated Rude in his normal even tones as he approached also, eyes covered by his normal shades.

Elena still seemed to have a fair amount of trepidation but she nodded. "…Yes sir. You're right."

Rude's body language was not telling, not he seemed ready. "Come on, we've got work to do."

Reno sighed heavily as his eyes finally met Zack's. "I'm not really up for it, but…" He paused and sighed heavily again.

"Our orders were to seek you out and… Kill," Elena explained. "Our company may be in turmoil, but an order's an order. That's the will and spirit of the Turks! Believe it!"

The various members of AVALANCHE looked amongst themselves, uncertain of what to do at the moment.

"What are you doing? Let's go!" Elena demanded.

Cloud stared at her then did a quick head count on his side. "Tifa, Zack, and I will take them. The rest of you get going!"

"What?" Barret demanded as he glared at the Turks before them. "You can't be plannin' on takin' 'em alone!"

"You need to get going and stop Hojo. All of us staying will waste time!" Cloud replied as he brought his sword to bear.

Kunsel nodded as he grabbed Yuffie's arm, intent to continue down the corridor. The rest of AVALANCHE slowly peeled away, Aeris staying a moment longer than necessary to pass a young Restore materia to Tifa.

"It's only been leveled once, but it's better than nothing," she whispered to the other woman and Tifa nodded as she equipped the materia next to the Neo Bahamut materia.

"Let's end this!" Cloud declared as the majority of his friends continued down the hall.

Reno groaned again as he straightened up and brought out his EMR. "We've had a weird relationship but… We have to end this like Turks!" The man actually sounded almost remorseful about the prospect of killing them.

"And to think I thought I knew some Turks I thought were decent," Zack grumbled. "Hey, whatever did happen to Cissnei?"

Reno scowled slightly, a disgusted look on his face while Rude seemed to find a sudden need to readjust his tie.

Elena was the only one of the Turks who didn't act strangely. "Enough talk! Try this on for size!" she called as she cast a strange spell that sent fire along the ground. The three friends jumped back right as the magic detonated where they had been.

Yelling, Zack rushed at Rude as the taller man's fists raised. The Turk barely avoided the former SOLDIER's first swipe but wasn't fast enough for the second one as Zack brought his sword through a back handed swipe, smacking Rude's right arm hard with the back of his blade.

As this was happening Tifa engaged Elena, engaging her with a heavy punch combination. Elena was excellent with spells and guns, but her hand-to-hand combat skills were only average for a Turk while Tifa was almost a master. The blond barely avoided a fist that would have probably cracked a few ribs only to be struck in the leg by an odd kick made by the other woman.

Reno was the odd Turk out in that he leapt at his opponent. Cloud waited as the Turk approached then sidestepped his wild swing with the EMR and swept his leg back, kicking Reno in the lower back.

"Yeow! That hurts!" Elena cried as she managed to leap away from Tifa for a moment only for the other woman to follow her retreat and kick off a wall to initiate a kick flip.

Reno yelped as Cloud's blow caused him to skid a bit over the floor then caught himself and turned, his eyes practically glowing with anger. "HEYA!" he yelled as he swung at the other again only for Cloud to catch the EMR with his sword but Reno was nothing if not versatile! Seeing an opening, he shoved forward and attempted to roundhouse the former Infantryman in the stomach only for Cloud to shove back and throw him while he was on one leg.

Rude nursed his arm slightly as he pulled back from Zack then used one of his few materia, a powerful Lightning spell. The hit caused the other to stumble a bit but Zack was still one of the best from SOLDIER. He gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain caused by the electricity and sent a fist into Rude's shoulder. The Turk was now the one gritting his teeth as he swung his opposing arm, clipping the other in the cheek.

Elena was thrown back hard by the kick flip and landed hard against the wall. She rolled along it to avoid Tifa's follow-up attack before firing a spell that brushed Tifa's shoulder.

The other woman uttered a small exclamation of pain at the burn, but a quick spell later on the young Restore materia took care of the wound. Elena attempted to continue her assault but Tifa used a fire spell of her own to catch the Turk off balance.

Zack barely budged from Rude's punch but his eyes did glow spectacularly as he set the Buster sword down. He then rushed the Turk in a tornado of punches and kicks, raining blows on his face, chest, and arms that attempted to block him.

Reno flipped himself back to his feet and stared at Cloud for a moment before shooting a spell at the man that was slapped away using his sword. When the hell had these guys gotten so tough?! Just a few weeks ago he and Rude would have to be engaged by two or three each before being overwhelmed!

Glancing over, he saw Rude get thoroughly railed on by Fair and Elena wasn't doing much better. Dodging around Cloud, he managed to get closer to the other Turks.

"Hey!" he called as he decided to exercise his authority as second-in-command of the Turks. "Let's call it a day, yo."

Rude stepped back from Fair, brushing off his suit and straightening his tie as he did so while Elena ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to fix it as they retreated.

Cloud stared after the three retreating figures then glanced at his two comrades. "You guys good to go?"

"I'm fine," Tifa replied.

"Good to go!" Zack told him with a grin as the three of them took off after their friends.

Someone had left them arrows to indicate the path the others had taken and they caught up to them quickly, right as Kunsel was climbing scaffolding to the street. Glancing over the group and doing a head count just to be sure they hadn't lost anyone, Cloud noticed something disturbing.

"Where's Cait Sith?"

_**Normal**_

After this, if at all avoidable, I don't think I'll be jumping from an aircraft if I don't have to without a parachute. It wasn't that the fall was terrible or the landing, it was just how the whole experience made me feel. I was in control yet at the same time clearly not. Maybe the reason Bugen always floated around on that orb was because it was easier to move the orb with him on top rather than his full body.

I landed on a roof again but nowhere near as hard as the last time I "visited" Midgar. This time I was going about the speed I would if I had had a parachute so though I did stumble a bit, I wasn't hurt.

Running to the edge of the roof, the fire escape was easily located and I began to climb down to the silent street below. There were no people and no cars. No movement whatsoever.

The Shinra building was visible and I began to make my trek there along the deserted streets. Though it was probably pointless, I still spread my nets of disinterest and kept to the shadows as much as I could which proved to be easy in the dark night. Most of the streetlights were out and very few lights shined through the windows.

It didn't take long at all to reach the Shinra building. A grand total of ten minutes maybe even with me skirting all lights. Outside of the building I pulled out my PHS once more and dialed a number.

"Hello?" Aeris's voice asked.

"Hey, Aeris. Are you guys almost there?"

"Yes, we're just exiting the underground right now. Kunsel seems certain we'll be near the controls for the cannon where Hojo has taken over. Is something wrong?"

I was silent for a moment. "If something happens, just so you know, there is a notebook on my desk. The first few pages are covered in quotes that I've written down and a poem. The pages after that are the important ones. I've written down the branches, duties, and some of the abilities of the Jedi."

"What are you talking about?!" The other woman sounded slightly panicked.

"I wanted you to know it was there in case something happens. I'm going to get Reeve; you guys need to stop Hojo."

"RACHAS! Wait!" I hung up when I heard a machine in the background which should be Scarlet and Heidegger showing up on that mechanical monstrosity that looked reminiscent of a Gundam.

Scanning with my abilities, I found the lobby clear and walked in quietly, suddenly aware of how well displayed my tantō were for the first time in months. Thankfully my jacket was long enough that it covered my hilt where it was tucked into my belt.

I didn't have the keycards that would allow me to gain immediate access to the higher floors so I headed for the elevators at the back of the building first and pressed the call button. The elevator arrived moments later and I stepped into the cab and pressed the button for the 59th floor.

As the elevator ascended, I sent my mind out and felt the various presences in the building. Reeve I found quickly enough, he was still in the meeting room and he wasn't alone. Restrictor was there with him.

Swallowing, I glanced up at the floor indicator of the elevator. It showed that the elevator had just passed the 24th floor. What was I going to do?!

I had no illusions of winning in a fight against Restrictor; he was obviously the guy in charge of Deepground so he ordered Azul and Argento around. I couldn't even win against them yet. Maybe I could hold out long enough for Cloud, Zack, or Vincent to show up and deal with him? Grab Reeve and somehow get us into a room that we could defend until then? If we dealt with him here and now would that prevent whatever happened in Dirge of Cerberus?

My body shook slightly as the elevator stopped on the 59th floor and I stepped into the silent atrium. There were no guards that I could see, just the stairs that would lead all the down to the street.

Taking a deep breath, I approached the only other doors in the area and stepped through the open doorway as I started to review possible plans. The first plan I had was grab Reeve and try to run for it, not bothering to engage while looking for somewhere to hide and wait for the others. My plan B was to fight if I had to and from there I had a number of branches to consider. In the very likely event that I lost there were a number of things that could happen, the foremost on my mind was being dragged off to Deepground. If that happened I had several ideas on what to do and one of them was to fake insanity and see if they would lose interest in a deranged psychokinetic Cetra when there was no Hojo around.

The door to the stairs was open also and I didn't have to worry about the keycards to continue.

Each step I climbed felt heavier than the last one as I passed floors 60 through 64. I paused on floor 65 before continuing, the urge to run becoming very strong.

'This is how Reeve probably felt every day, especially after Junon,' I thought and forced my feet to continue the climb.

"If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be that we're all okay. Not to worry cause worry is wasteful and useless in times like these." Great, I was stressed to the point where I'm singing Jewel.

Passing the halfway landing, there were at most twelve more stairs until floor 66, where Restrictor was waiting with Reeve.

"I won't be made useless; I won't be idle with despair. I will gather myself around my faith for light does the darkness most fear." This door was open also and I stepped into the hall. "My hands are small, I know but they're not yours they are my own. But they're not yours they are my own, and I am never broken…"

I trailed off as I stopped outside the door where I sensed the men to be waiting and clenched my teeth as I reached up to grab the door handle, preparing to push Restrictor with the power, grab Reeve, and run for it.

"Good of you to come," the Restrictor's voice said as I pushed open the door and I focused on him immediately. Unfortunately he must have been briefed in some way about me because he already had Reeve in front of him, a short sword pressed against his throat.

Reeve himself looked a bit ruffled but mostly uninjured. He was handcuffed and a strip of material was used to gag him, probably so he couldn't tell me to do something like run.

"So, this is the specimen that Professor Hojo is so excited about," a new voice said from the corner of the room and I turned my head slightly so they entered my field of vision. I think it was a woman based upon the way the lab coat fitted the person but it was impossible to truly tell due to a mask that covered their whole head. Behind that one was what looked to be a man in a tan officer uniform who also wore a mask-like helmet and carried a baton.

There were three of them here so that kind of eliminated the possibility of using the Mind Trick to force Restrictor into letting go of Reeve.

"Place your weapons on the table," Restrictor ordered and I pulled my tantōs from their sheaths and set them on the table though I decided to hang on to my armlet until he demanded otherwise. "The materia too."

I snuck a look at Reeve as I pulled off my armlet and set it with my tantōs. His eyes pleaded with me but I couldn't leave him like this.

"Take those," an order came and the man stepped forward and picked up my weapons and armlet. "Now, we're going to be walking to the elevator. The Researcher shall lead the way; you will follow and not attempt to talk. If I even suspect you're using one of those troublesome abilities of yours…"

He didn't need to finish that statement; we all knew what he meant.

"Well then, follow me," the researcher almost sounded pleasant at the moment but I'll bet that that was just because he/she/it was anticipating getting me down to whatever lab they had waiting. The lab coat turned and walked out the door and I slowly followed, half hoping the man holding my weapons would step out first. He didn't.

"Move," he ordered monotonously.

We walked down the hall to where the executive elevators were situated silently. For the most part.

"The Professor is quite enthusiastic about finally having your participation," the Researcher informed us. "And with only two of your race left, of course we want to begin as soon as possible. Tell me, did he inject you with the W-samples before that accident?"

Behind me I heard Reeve grunt angrily. Glancing back I saw that Reeve was indeed being made to walk along after me, firmly held by Restrictor.

"The question isn't difficult," Restrictor said, cueing to me that I was to answer the Researcher's questions.

"Yes," I replied dryly as the Researcher pressed the elevator call button.

"Excellent!" the Researcher declared excitedly. "We'll begin monitoring and scanning the moment we get the chip in place."

"Chip?" Suddenly this was sounding a hell of a lot worse.

The Researcher nodded as the elevator door opened. "Yes, the control chip. Once in place we'll be able to keep track of you and insure you don't do something… ill advised," he/she/it said as they stepped into the elevator and gestured for me to enter also.

I caught Reeve as Restrictor shoved him into the elevator as well before he stepped in with the one holding my weapons. "Shouldn't you let him go?"

"And risk you thinking to try something before being properly restrained?" Restrictor shot back. "I commanded that you not talk. The exception to that rule is answering questions."

_**AVALANCHE**_

Aeris sighed in relief as the machine controlled by Scarlet and Heidegger finally fell. The battle had been tough but not because the machine was fast or powerful, it just wouldn't go down! They had used spells, Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel had pummeled the thing with their swords, and after hearing what she had to say about Rachas's call, Cloud had sent Vincent, Barret, and Tifa ahead to deal with Hojo.

"How could she be so stupid?!" Zack demanded as soon as they were able to see again after the "Proud Clod" had exploded, taking Heidegger with it into oblivion. Scarlet had used the fat man as a stool to jump out of the cockpit but no one was paying her any mind currently. They remaining members of AVALANCHE were divided over whether to head for the cannon or the Shinra Headquarters.

"How did she get down?" Kunsel added. "I had all the spare parachutes locked in the brig!"

"Calm down," Red's voice cut in. "We are equally to blame for thinking we could keep her in the dark. One thing is for certain at this point: she heard the transmission."

Cid asked the next question. "Kunsel, you yourself said she was no hothead. This seems pretty fuckin' hotheaded to me!"

The former SOLDIER thought for a moment then chuckled. "She loves him."

"WHAT?" Cid demanded. "Barely knows that frickin' spy! They've seen each other, what? Two times?"

"And spent weeks in nearly constant contact, even before she should have known him," Zack replied as he thought back on it. "They spoke most easily to each other, probably shared ideas and thoughts in a way most people can't without fear of being judged."

"That sets the stage for love to form," Kunsel admitted while Yuffie stared at them.

"So they fell in love by talking? Never meeting first?" Yuffie looked sickened by the thought. "What if he had been older than he already is? Or fat?"

Kunsel bit his lip to keep from laughing despite the seriousness of the situation while several of the others actually did laugh.

"I'm going after her," Zack declared as he turned to face the building. "I promised that I'd keep her out of trouble and this counts! The rest of you head for the cannon!"

"Ain't going alone, kid!" Cid stated as he stepped up next to Zack.

"I'm going too!" Aeris said but Zack emphatically shook his head.

"I'll feel a lot better if you're with everyone else," the dark haired SOLDIER told her. "They're obviously after Rachas, what if they take you too?"

Aeris looked ready to protest when Red spoke up. "If you were captured then Zack would be distracted. It really is better if you come with us to the cannon. And I believe that Cait Sith will already be heading for the building so there will be someone else to help them."

"But-" Aeris still tried to protest only for Cloud to grab her hand.

"The building is probably evacuated right now; they were focusing on fighting us after all."

Aeris sighed then shut her eyes for a moment. "They're going to head for the basement levels, to a hidden elevator. You have to stop them before they get in that elevator."

"The lab is in the basement?"

Aeris shrugged. "I- I can't tell… When I try to see where they want to take her I see an entire town, somewhere that isn't Midgar, somewhere we've never been before."

"Okay, so the elevator will probably lead to a transport and if we don't get her before that, then we won't be able to."

Aeris nodded as Zack turned towards the building again. "Well, best not to waste even a moment!" he yelled and took off.

"Hey!" Cid shouted as he first tried to run after Zack then glanced around and jumped on an available service vehicle and took off after the SOLDIER.

"The rest of us need to get to that cannon!" Cloud ordered as he turned and the rest of them headed down the street towards the cannon control.

_**Normal**_

This has to be the slowest damn elevator in existence! Thank Minerva!

Reeve and I were at the back of the elevator, pressed against the glass that overlooked Midgar. I wonder how long it took for them to fix this after AVALANCHE broke out last time.

Due to his hands being cuffed in front of him rather than behind, Reeve took the opportunity to yank the gag from his mouth while Restrictor and his cronies were distracted.

"You shouldn't have come," he whispered.

"And let them hurt you?" I hissed right back as I leaned slightly against him. "Did they hurt you?"

"Nothing too bad."

"I said no talking," Restrictor said suddenly as he reached back and gave one of Reeve's arms a hard twist. Reeve groaned but refused to cry out.

"Hey! I was talking too!" I interjected but Restrictor only responded by twisting Reeve's cuffed arm again.

"He'll be the one punished for your infractions."

I bit my tongue to keep myself from making another comment as Restrictor finally released Reeve's arm. Tears burned behind my eyes but I couldn't allow them to be seen.

A gentle touch on my hand drew my attention and I felt Reeve's fingers lace over mine.

"Have you been experiencing any pain or burning sensations sense the injection of the W-sample?" the Researcher asked as they pulled out a notepad.

I squeezed Reeve's fingers slightly. "Yes."

"When?"

"Lying down, after nightmares," I listed as Reeve's fingers squeezed mine in return.

"You're listed as hypoglycemic, any other health issues?"

"I believe I'm developing a deadly allergy of Shinra lapdogs."

"You'll be tested," the Researcher responded dryly and I glanced up and felt my pulse begin to pick up as the floor numbers dropped to the teens.

Closing my eyes, I reached out for the power and tried to get a vision of the future or a fix on where some of the others were. What I saw caused me some relief; Zack was only minutes away from the building with Cid. Now if only this elevator would go a bit slower…

Reaching out, I touched the cable motors that moved the cab and forced them to slow down a small amount.

The Restrictor actually did reach out and slap me then. "Stop it," he ordered as my concentration broke then reached out and took hold of Reeve's wrist. He didn't twist it this time, he simply bent it at an odd angle and Reeve actually did cry out as the sound of a bone snapping filled the air.

I lashed out this time and struck Restrictor's hand away from Reeve's broken wrist. Grabbing the appendage as Reeve groaned and leaned heavily on the wall behind him, I called the power to help the healing process and numb the pain somewhat.

A chime announced the elevator arriving at the lobby and the doors slid open. The Researcher stepped out first then the uniformed man. Restrictor shoved me out then and then took Reeve's shoulder.

"Back of the lobby," he ordered and once again the Researcher led the way to the back of the lobby where he/she/it opened what looked to be the entrance to a service corridor. There was a small elevator there, big enough for two or three people at a time. The Researcher boarded first then I was shoved onto the elevator along with the uniformed man. The ride was a short one then we were waiting for Restrictor and Reeve at the bottom of the corridor.

The sound of the service door closing felt almost like a death sentence. Or maybe a life sentence. Life in a lab sort of sentence…

I barely bit down a sob though I couldn't stop a tear as the Researcher began to walk down the corridor, bidding me to follow.

_**The Cannon**_

"Hojo," Vincent snarled as they reached the top of the stairs and Tifa saw that awful scientist who appeared to be typing something rapidly at a computer terminal.

It had taken them a while to climb up here due to machines and bits of wreckage in their path, obviously set there by the madman who had tortured so many of her friends.

Hojo turned slightly and glared at Vincent. "Ahh, Specimen V. Still around I see? Are my other failures running around too?"

"Tifa!" a voice shouted and Cloud appeared at the top of the stairs along with most of their friends.

"Ah, so one of my failures is here!" Hojo smirked as he turned back to the computer terminal.

"I have a name! It's Cloud!" the blond swordsman yelled then remembered someone else who had yelled something similar at him during his breakdown in the North Crater.

Hojo sniffed but didn't bother to look back. "Every time I see you, I…" The madman paused and almost looked remorseful though they could all tell it was for the wrong reasons. "It pains me that I had so little scientific sense. I evaluated you as a failed project. But, you are the only one who succeeded as a Sephiroth-clone."

Cloud stiffened at the man's words, disbelieving that he could possibly be thinking of that.

"Heh, heh, heh… I'm even beginning to hate myself."

"None of that matters, just stop this nonsense!" Cloud demanded.

"Nonsense?" Hojo peered at him from the corner of his eye then and he honestly looked insulted and confused. "Oh, this?" For once the greasy man turned fully to them as he chuckled.

"Sephiroth seems to be counting on the energy," Hojo stated matter-of-factly. "So I'm going to lend him a hand."

"WHAT?! Why do that?" Barret demanded as he raised his gunarm and Cloud noticed that he seemed to have acquired a new attachment.

"Quit asking why. Morons, the lot of you." Hojo took a step closer then seemed to consider them. "Hmm… actually, some of you might be cut out to be scientists."

Disgust was apparent on a number of faces as Hojo turned back to the terminal and glared at the screen. "Energy level is at… 83%. It's taking too long." The man's hands flew over the controls again.

"His fingers…" Kunsel muttered and everyone focused on the fingers. It took a moment but they all noticed the strange movements, his fingers weren't bending at the joints anymore, they seemed to curl all the way down, like they were sinew and cartilage instead of bone.

"My son is in need of power and help," Hojo's voice huffed. "…That's the only reason."

Aeris was the first to respond to that statement. "Your son?!"

"Ha ha ha, although he doesn't know! Ha ha ha! HA HA HA! What will Sephiroth think when he finds out I'm his father?!"

"He won't!" Aeris shouted as rage rushed through her. "Once Rachas and I save him from that Calamity, we'll send him to peace and insure he never knows!"

Beside her Vincent shifted angrily also, the gun gifted to him by Lucrecia already aimed at the madman who had ruined her and her son.

Yuffie shifted angrily as well. "And I thought I had issues with my old man."

Kunsel on the other hand studied Hojo intently then thought back on Lucrecia in the cave. He really wasn't seeing a resemblance. "I don't believe it," he stated to the others.

Barret must have misunderstood his words for being those of disbelief. "Same here."

"I offered the woman with my child to Professor Gast's Jenova Project. When Sephiroth was still in the womb, we took the cells of Jenova…" Hojo erupted into maniacal laughter then, laughter strong enough to throw him off of his typing.

"You're the one responsible for all of this…" Cloud gritted. "The crime against him…"

Hojo stood from the terminal again and giggled disturbingly. "No, you're wrong! It's my desire as a scientist! I… was defeated by my desire to become a scientist. I lost the last time as well."

At that moment, Hojo's form seemed to bloat out a bit and through the rain all of them could see the patchwork coloring of his skin. Green and purple were in abundance while actual flesh tones seemed to be draining away.

"I've injected Jenova's cells into my own body! Here are… my results!"

The "man" stepped away from his computer terminal then and reached into his lab coat as he seemed to stumble drunkenly. He pulled out some strange device and the group all either drew their weapons or entered their battle stances. When said device was thrown into the air, Cloud wasn't sure what to think until several monsters seemed to pop into existence.

Red lunged first, his teeth closing around the bottom portion of what looked almost like a snail which he dragged back and wrenched his head back. The monster didn't make a sound though Cloud did see it jerk a bit against Red's teeth, then Aeris jumped in to smack her staff over the top portion of the monster as it attempted to strike at Red with the spiny shell.

Barret opened fire on the jellyfish-like monster, causing it to rupture and after several rounds while Vincent took his first shot at Hojo, the bullet smashing into the fiend's leg right above the knee.

Hojo didn't seem to notice as his eyes rolled back and forth, his sanity clearly gone. "Haw… now let's see," the being said as he raised his hand to his chin. "How is the mako juice reacting?" He pulled out a needle with his unoccupied hand then, one filled with a glowing green substance that he stabbed into his own neck.

Cloud's eyes widened as he watched the human form before him twist and contort as though it were made of putty. Whatever monster Hojo had become, it no longer even resembled a human being!

Growling, Cloud charged this time, Tifa right behind him as they each attacked a limb.

Tifa's eyes widened as she struck only to find the skin beneath her punch seemed to lack bone as it squished inwards, a visible indent from her punch appearing.

"What?" she demanded then noticed a slight twisting and gurgling coming from the monster, like it was trying to cast a spell! She felt the spell attempt to wash over her but none of the effects… Of course, she had a Ribbon!

"It can cast spells!" Tifa shouted as she jumped back and cast a fire spell, a lively looking burn racing up the appendage.

"Got it!" Kunsel shouted as he and Yuffie charged past her, weapons drawn.

Cloud glanced at her from where he was hacking a long, deep looking cut into the supporting appendage of the monster. "Were you hit with one?"

"I'm fine!"

"Have Aeris check anyway!"

Tifa was about to argue when a red cloak swept past her and Vincent fired at the red structure that was roughly situated where the heart should be.

A scream burst through the air and they all watched in horror as the figure twisted once more, wrapping its shredded appendages around itself as the form shrank, became sleeker. Whatever Hojo was now, it looked more human than the previous form, even looking like it might have some form of clothing on. It hovered in the air though, a tentacle that sprouted from the back of its head spiraling down its form.

"The hell is that thing?" Barret yelled as he opened fire again.

"Just a monster!" Vincent replied, his voice carrying a deadly edge as he raised his gun as well.

The monster seemed to twirl for a moment then a spell was cast and Barret stopped his attack as he fell to the ground, fast asleep.

"Everyone watch out! It can definitely cast!" Red shouted as he rushed forward and clamped his teeth onto the arm of the monster. Unfortunately due to the sleek form and elasticity of the skin, neither his teeth nor claws could dig in and a spin was all it took to shake him off.

As the thing swept at Red, obviously intent to attack while he was down, Tifa reached out and grabbed the head tentacle, holding the monster fast so it couldn't reach her friend. Yuffie joined her and seemed to dance around the struggling form, her shuriken in hand, slashing the fleshy being.

It howled for a moment then swept at Tifa, knocking her back and off her feet and yanked its tentacle free.

The monster seemed to dance for a moment before sweeping in front of Aeris and surprised the Cetra when it spoke.

"I'm disappointed in myself as a scientist for a number of reasons, but one of them is for using my own blood."

"What?!" Aeris stared at the being before her wondering if there was some redeeming value.

"A normal child is what Sephiroth would have been without Jenova cells, but what of your fellow Ancient? What would she have been like? Think of how she is now but consider what she would have been like if we had found her earlier, still young enough for the experiments!"

"Is that what you intend?" Aeris demanded as anger rushed through her again.

"Heavens no! She is far too old to successfully go through those treatments. Old enough to be a mother herself!"

Ice crept through Aeris's veins at Hojo's words.

"Imagine her blood crossed with that of one of the most powerful beings ever produced by Shinra! That child would be a perfect weapon! A tool! A host!"

The voice cackled insanely then and Aeris felt a deep burning hatred unlike any she had ever felt before. The ice in her veins was swept away by sheer rage and her hands flew before her in some instinctual manner.

"HAH!" she screamed as the power of the Planet responded to her rage and leapt through her, coming forth as lightning from her fingertips.

_**Zack and Cid**_

"Where the hell're we going?" Cid demanded as he jumped out of the vehicle and followed Zack into the lobby of Shinra Headquarters.

"There's a service corridor back here! I used to use it sometimes when I trained with the Infantry!" Zack yelled back as he rushed to the back of the lobby and started to pound on the wall before finding the right place and using his Buster sword to forcibly open the door.

"Hurry up!" he yelled at the pilot as he ignored the elevator and jumped down to the corridor.


	53. Chapter 53

Saria: Alright! Back to work after Isaac! Doesn't everyone just love hurricanes?

Tori: In that you get bored to the point where you entertain yourself for about three hours by writing a chapter?

SA: Inspiration. It strikes with the wind and rain.

Saria: Those didn't strike too hard.

Zas: Man, Rachas really wasn't thinking clearly last chapter.

Oh, and Solyeuse- there is still no buffer and it's not 10k, just 6-7k typically. I'm just that good when inspired.

zzzzzzzzzz

The service corridor was completely metal and several times we passed small alcoves that were fences using chain link fencing and contained generators and other pieces of machinery.

We eventually reached a dead end and I hoped that the Researcher had gotten turned around only for that person to pull out a keycard which they swiped through a hidden card reader. A grate on the floor slid open and another small service elevator appeared. This time we all fit on the elevator and descended into yet another hall.

This hall was more spacious than the previous one but looked decided less well maintained. The lighting was a bit dimmer and the walls rougher. What little color there had been in the previous hall was missing.

Glancing back as the Researcher began to walk again, I saw Reeve was keeping a mostly neutral face but when he saw me looking his expression turned very tight. We were rapidly running out of time and so long as Reeve was being held by Restrictor I didn't dare to try anything more.

The uniformed man moved easily, almost like how Zack or Kunsel moved which told me he was a fighter of some sort.

Groaning, I shoved my hands into my pockets as I realized that at some point I had regained my ability to think and observe. Maybe it was the confirmation that Reeve was still alive that settled my mind.

My fingers touched something and I fought to keep my expression neutral. True I had removed my armlet and surrendered my tantō, but I still had materia in my pockets and my hilt was tucked into my belt.

We had a chance, I just needed Restrictor to let go of Reeve for several moments.

"We were monitoring for parachutes over Midgar," the Researcher suddenly stated as it opened a door that led to a room that looked to be used for storage if the crates were any indication. "Mind telling how you got in?"

"I jumped." I was a bit short with my response.

"How did you land?" The Researcher sounded a bit annoyed now also.

"On a roof."

The Researcher groaned slightly and the uniform guy chose to lean in slightly so he could whisper to me.

"You're not making any positive impressions with that attitude."

"Neither are you," I replied as I tried to pull the materia my fingers were scraping into my sleeve.

Uniform man sighed and shook his head slightly. "Ruin the Restrictor's mood and your friend will be the one punished and he can do far worse than a broken wrist."

The Researcher turned right into a room that had some storage lockers then left into one that had several more before making an immediate left and we were in yet another hallway.

Maybe I could make the mind trick work… Try to take control of Restrictor and make him let go of Reeve and attack Uniform. I might have a bit of difficulty getting around them but I might make it. But where would we go down here? These halls had very few doors and all of them looked to be opened with a cardkey, and I'll bet that Researcher's cardkey could open them all.

We passed a room labeled Locker Room before Researcher used the cardkey to open a heavy looking metal door which closed again moments after Restrictor marched past it with Reeve.

_**Zack and Cid**_

"Huff huff… Do you… huff… even know where… Huff… they could be?" Cid yelled after Zack as he tore down the hall. Thus far the only reason he had been able to keep up with the SOLDIER was because he had been opening every door he could.

The dark haired man glanced back then nodded slightly. "I have an idea but I'm trying to remember where the damn elevator to the next floor is!"

"FLOOR?!"

"This isn't the basement yet!" Zack called back as he rushed through a store room. "And we don't have a card to get us through the security doors."

"Isn't there another way?" Cid demanded as he followed the former SOLDIER into yet another hallway where Zack stopped short then gazed at the grate beneath their feet.

"Yep!" the younger replied before he sent his fist crashing into the grate, bending it and sending them both to the lower level.

"FUCK! Give some warning!" the blond man shouted after Zack who began running down the new hall. Around that point Cid noticed something on the floor and stared at it for a moment before glancing down the hall.

"Son of a-" Cid declared with a laugh as he saw a line of almost evenly spaced scuff marks, obviously made by very expensive shoes.

_**AVALANCHE**_

Tifa patted Aeris on the back as the other woman choked over the side of the structure. When the young Cetra's anger had dissipated a bit and she had returned to her senses, the first thing she had seen was the blackened corpse of the monster that had once been Hojo. At this point Tifa didn't know if Aeris was sickened by the sight of the mangled beast or her own actions.

"We should get going," Red stated from behind them and Tifa glanced over to find that Kunsel and Vincent seemed to have finished with the controls.

"Were they able to shut down the cannon?" she asked.

Cloud nodded as he stepped up. "Yeah, everything seems to be fine here. Would you mind taking Aeris to the airship while the rest of us head to the Shinra building?"

Tifa glanced at her distraught friend and although she preferred the idea of going with Cloud and the others, Aeris did look like she needed a bit of support.

"I'll be fine," Aeris spoke then. "I just needed a moment to calm down, that's never happened before."

"That was some lightning spell!" Barret called out as he approached.

"It wasn't a spell…" Aeris murmured as she thought back on that moment of uncontrolled rage.

"Whatever it was makes no difference right now," Tifa informed her as she helped the other right herself. "I think you need to lie down for right now."

_**Normal**_

We had just passed three very thick doors, these actually needing codes to get through. As the last one slammed shut behind us an idea struck me on a way to possibly get Restrictor to release Reeve.

I was going to need to right opportunity though and I didn't know if that would arise so I started to try to think of a back-up plan.

We were crossing yet another store room now, one I'm certain that I'd seen on one of the missions during Crisis Core. Yeah, the room where Zack faced 1000 troops and most of the really big enemies.

The Researcher moved to the back of the room to where a panel was set in the wall. It proved to be a disguised elevator as the Researcher slid their keycard once again and the panel slid away. As the elevator door slid open a loud shout came from behind us.

Restrictor wheeled about, Reeve being jerked along as his short sword made its reappearance. Looking back I saw Cait Sith appear through the door, a keycard in hand!

"You blokes ain't the easiest to follow!" the little robot announced with a grin.

Restrictor didn't seem at all put off by the little robot though his sword didn't lower as he addressed Reeve. "Your little toy? Do you think that will save you?"

For his part Reeve didn't reply even as the sword of Restrictor pressed more firmly against the skin of his throat. My throat dried right at that moment as a cold feeling rushed through me.

"He's not a threat." My statement was the truth and I laced it with a fair amount of imploring. "You don't have to do anything to them."

"I told you no talking," Restrictor said and his sword didn't lower even a bit.

"LET THEM GO!"

The shout from Zack caught my attention and I sighed in relief as he raced through the door, Cid puffing heavily on his heels.

"More?" Restrictor sounded bored as he gazed between Zack and Cid.

"You're not taking them anywhere!" Zack declared as he hefted the Buster sword before him.

"And how do you intend to stop us?" Restrictor asked as Researcher's hand took my shoulder and both (she?) and Uniform began to urge me to enter the elevator. My focus though was on Restrictor and I refused to budge. I had my opening and before my eyes Restrictor did something rather stupid, he moved the sword away from Reeve's throat and pointed it slightly at Zack.

Gathering the power in that moment I lashed out and shoved Reeve hard, breaking Restrictor's grip on him and sending him almost halfway across the room.

Zack charged as my hand clutched the materia in my pocket and I cast a spell intended for the Uniform. The materia in my pocket proved to be Contain and the ice spell hit man hard, stunning him for a moment.

Rushing over, using the power to aid my speed, I attempted to take back my tantōs and armlet but the man recovered quickly enough to sidestep me and attempted to strike at me with his baton. A push through the power forced him away though and I yanked out my hilt, letting the power flow through my arm to the hilt.

"What?!" Uniform sounded very surprised at the appearance of my blade and didn't try to approach.

Calling to the power, I yanked my tantōs and armlet from him and turned to see that Zack had engaged Restrictor. He stood right before the man instead who in turn stood with his own short sword ready. Reeve had managed to push himself up and away from the pair though he couldn't reach the door where Cait Sith still stood.

Cid was skirting the length of the room, intent to give Restrictor and Zack plenty of room as he headed for our end. I didn't bother trying to be subtle; I headed straight for Reeve and used the power to unlock the handcuffs.

The dark haired man groaned in relief as the cuffs fell away, his uninjured hand gripping his arm right above the broken wrist.

"Is it in a good set?" I asked as I stopped by Reeve and stared at the slightly swollen appendage.

"Yes, the break was clean and the pain isn't too bad."

"Hold still," I ordered as I cast a high level Cure spell and Reeve's drawn face visibly relaxed.

"You really shouldn't have come," he told me after a moment and I responded by shaking my head.

"I should have expected this and made you come with me."

"Heads up!" Cid shouted and I turned to see Researcher was rushing at us along with Uniform.

Thinking over the forms that I'd really only run through mentally or with a metal sword in hand, I pushed forward and met Uniform as he brought his baton up, obviously intent try to bring us back to order. My sword cut through his baton cleanly and he stumbled, backpedaling rapidly to avoid my glowing blade.

Researcher attempted to engage Reeve but Cid managed to arrive in time to catch the thrown punch with his spear.

"FUCK! You got an arm on you!" he declared as he spun the spear to bear then glanced back at Reeve. "Watcha waitin' for? Get back to your bot!"

"Alright," Reeve replied as he stepped back then ran along the wall towards the door.

Zack and Restrictor were in the middle of the room now as they clashed, Zack's large sword and sheer strength enabling him to keep Restrictor just outside of his reach. Restrictor was fast though and he wove around Zack in a fashion that let you see they were almost equally talented. It would be a fight that would be concluded when one of them tired to the point where they couldn't continue or made a fatal error.

"What is the technology behind that?" Researcher asked as the eyes of those remaining locked on my sword.

"No technology," I replied as I prepared to continue. Drawing on the power, I felt those around me slow down as I charged the Uniform, my blade biting at the air where his arm was. The man was fast too though as he jumped back and nimbly avoided my blade.

Inwardly I cursed my luck; Uniform was definitely enhanced if the way he moved was any indication. Not giving him a moment to mount an assault I continued my advance, pushing harder to bring the man down. A call through the power caused me to whip my arm back and I was shocked to feel a spell ricochet on the blade.

Uniform didn't let the moment go to waste as he rushed at me this time, bringing the remaining portion of his baton around with the intent to strike.

Lashing out with the power, I threw him away from me and he landed hard on a pile of boxes then turned to find Cid had just knocked down the Researcher.

"You a'ight?" he yelled over and I nodded before turning my attention to where Zack was still fighting Restrictor.

"I'll be fine," I called back. "Was that one tough?"

"Knocked her down when she threw a spell at yur back."

Restrictor must have noticed us because his head shifted slightly, almost like he was looking at us. He and Zack had rotated to the point where he was now facing the elevator.

For a moment the fight between him and Zack continued then Restrictor kicked back, away from our friend.

At first he seemed intent to flee until I noticed his trajectory, straight for Reeve! And his weapon was not poised for captive taking.

A rush of panic hit me and I pushed forward with my mind, determined to stop him.

_**AVALANCHE**_

Cloud led the others towards the front doors of the Shinra building and wondered for a moment where to go. Aeris had told Zack that they would head to the basement and Cloud tried to remember some of the training exercises he must have been a part of that took place. He knew there was a basement but not where the entrance was.

"I'll take the stairs in case they try to leave that way!" Red shouted as he raced to the side of the building and he was followed by Yuffie and Kunsel.

"Ain't fool enough to take those ever again," Barret groaned as he ran through the front doors of the building.

"There should be an entrance here somewhere," Cloud called as they swept through the lobby. Vincent headed towards the back of the lobby while Barret groaned and climbed the stairs to the next floor.

Cloud remembered the entrance to the service corridor that took them to the basement levels being on the first floor but saw no reason to recall Barret. As Vincent covered the right side of the room, he covered the left where he knocked on the walls, looked for seams, and listened for any sounds.

The sound of glass shattering caused him to glance up. "Barret, what're you doing?"

"Supply shop, someone locked the door!"

Cloud groaned then glanced over to where Vincent had paused next to a portion of the wall. "Did you find something?"

"Yes," Vincent replied as his clawed arm reached out and seemed to tear into the wall. A moment later he pulled back and the door gave away with a metallic shriek.

"Barret, Vincent found the door!"

"And I found some good stuff too!" Barret called as he barreled down the stairs.

_**Normal**_

"It's like a maze down here, how did you find us so fast?" I demanded as Zack led all of us back towards where the elevator to the service corridor was. Zack pointed at Cid in response.

Cid grinned at my questioning glance then slapped Reeve's back. "Your man's gonna need some new shoes after scoffing the shit out of his current ones."

Glancing at Reeve, he smiled faintly as he indicated a black mark on the ground then indicated his own shoes.

"Cait Sith, where were you?" Zack asked as we passed through another store room.

The little cat grinned at us. "I was trying to rescue Reeve meself but saw Rachas enter the building first. I used the keycard to follow 'em. Man that was close though, that masked bloke almost got you Reeve."

Reeve's hand tightened on mine as he glanced at me. "I'll admit I thought the same thing."

"Why'd he collapse like that?" Cid asked as we loaded onto the elevator that led to the service corridor.

My eyes instantly lowered though I couldn't declare I was sorry. But if Restrictor was in anyway responsible for the evens of Dirge of Cerberus then he would no longer be an issue.

"He's alive," I admitted. "But he'll never be a threat ever again."

_**The Basement Elevator**_

Officer East groaned as he stood as glanced around. Their target and the traitor were gone as well as the three who had come for them. The researcher was on the far side of the room and was standing over… The Restrictor?!

Tossing aside what was left of his baton, the Deepground officer walked to where one of the heads of Deepground lay, unresponsive to the prodding of the scientist.

"Is he unconscious?" East asked as the woman's hands reached down and began to unclasp the helmet.

"I don't know," she admitted as the helmet finally popped open. "He's definitely alive."

The officer nodded, that was good. If the man died then the virus to kill Weiss would be activated. Reaching down, he accepted the helmet from the researcher as she pulled it off.

The Restrictor had closely cropped dark brown hair and the typical glowing eyes of a SOLDIER. They stared straight out, unblinking, unresponsive. He looked dead despite the fact he was definitely still alive.

"What happened to him?"

"The Ancient did something," the researcher responded as she stood and turned back to the elevator. "You'll need to carry him down. A better examination can be performed in Deepground."

"What about the Ancient?"

"Do you think you could successfully bring her back?"

East shook his head as he reached down and pulled the Restrictor up into a firefighter hold. The body didn't respond at all even to this change in position.

"He feels… empty."

_**Normal**_

I always thought if I completely crushed someone's mind and left them a permanent vegetable that I would do it either to Hojo or Rufus. To have done it to a person I hadn't even known existed when I got here… And that it was an accident to boot really made me wonder.

When I had mentally lashed out at the man I had lashed out as though he were Bugenhagen and had mental defenses. It still wasn't everything I had but it was apparently far too much for a normal person because I had felt Restrictor's mind crumple like foil.

"Are you sure about that?" Zack asked even as Reeve's fingers found mine.

"I'm certain."

"Great!"

I must have made a pained face then because Reeve pulled me close for a hug right then.

"Oi lovebirds, save the touchy stuff for after!" Cid declared as he felt around his pockets for a moment then pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Not those," I groaned as Cid attempted to extract a cancer stick which caused the man to grin.

The grin turned into a frown then he groaned upon finding the pack empty. "Fucker."

"I recognize that voice!" a yell came from around the corner and sure enough we met Barret, Cloud, and Vincent as they turned the corner.

"You got 'em!" Barret cheered with a grin. "Now we can get the hell outta here!"

"Not until I get some cigs we can't!" Cid ordered.

The walk back to the lobby of the Shinra building seemed much shorter than the march through the corridors to the basement levels but it was probably because all of us were relieved and talking.

"Aeris said the place they were trying to take you was another town. She saw that in her vision that told us to look for you guys in the basement," Zack told me as we walked through the corridors.

"The building basement is level with the plate so it could be possible," Reeve responded. "So, Deepground is most likely an isolated and controlled town where travelers don't wander too often. Possibly in a cavern of some sort due to the name."

I shivered as that thought rolled through my head and thought of the final dungeon in Crisis Core, when you went through the portion that was converted into labs and cells. Deepground was unlikely to be in Banora though and the first attack of Dirge of Cerberus was in Kalm, so could they be in Kalm? Damn, I would have actually read through the storyline if I had even an inkling that I would one day find myself in Gaia.

We reached the lobby a few minutes later as Cloud was explaining the deaths of Heidegger and Hojo. Reeve, Cait Sith, and I rode the elevator up first. We were followed by Zack and Barret, then Cloud, Cid, and Vincent.

"Shinra is certainly finished now," Reeve stated as he glanced around the lobby.

The statement drew a slight chuckle from Barret who leaned heavily against the wall behind him. "Been waitin' years to hear that."

Zack glanced around then pulled out his PHS. "Hey, where are you guys?" he asked as Cloud pulled out his own phone.

"Hey, Kunsel, we got them. We're in the lobby right now."

"You're in the airship? …Yeah, she's fine. So's Reeve."

"Okay, we'll see you in a few minutes," Cloud said as he hung up the phone then glanced at the rest of us. "Kunsel, Yuffie, and Red are taking an elevator down."

"The airship is waiting for us at the Sector 5 airport," Zack said as he hung up also.

"We can use a company vehicle to get you there," Reeve offered as he walked towards the receptionist's desk and looked through a drawer.

"What about my smokes?!" Cid demanded.

"You should quit anyway," I returned.

"Anyone should fuckin' quit, you should quit pretendin' yur a pilot!" Cid shot back.

"And you should learn how to speak properly."

"I talk just fine!"

"You talk like you're always clenching your teeth with profanity thrown in!"

"They're fighting again!" Zack declared with a grin. "Great to see everything is back to normal!"

A chime alerted us to the arrival of an elevator and Yuffie happily pounced out followed by a much more sedate Kunsel and Red.

"Thank Leviathan we didn't have to climb all those stairs!" Yuffie cried happily.

Reeve walked back over now, two sets of keys in hand, one of which he handed to Kunsel. "These go to the number five car in the garage," Reeve explained and Yuffie groaned loudly.

"So, you'll be in four then?" Kunsel asked as they both turned towards the doors.

"Yes, my vehicle wouldn't be big enough for more than two at the moment."

There was a stairway to the underground parking lot near the exit of the building and we descended quickly to the lower level.

"Hold it right there!"

I wasn't the only one to groan as several Infantrymen showed up, their guns drawn.

"Stop!" Reeve ordered. "Lower your weapons!"

"Sorry Director Tuesti, but our orders came from Heidegger," one of the men called back.

"Heidegger is dead!" another voice called out and several more people arrived. They also carried guns but theirs were focused on the Infantrymen. "Director Scarlet is also out of commission due to injury. By order of command, Director Tuesti is now in charge!"

There was some shifting amongst the MPs then one of them raised his radio and made a call. His conversation was brief but he soon lowered his weapon and instructed his men to do the same.

"Your orders sir?"

Reeve looked a bit shaken but nodded to the man. "Begin a total evacuation of the plate to the slums, leave no one behind. If there isn't room then extend outside of the plate. I'll be in contact through this PHS number." Reeve continued to then give my PHS number as well as order for all the slum gates to be opened so evacuees wouldn't have to worry about crowding.

"What about them sir?" the soldier asked as he indicated the rest of us.

"These people just saved Midgar from Hojo who was attempting to overload the cannon and the reactors," Reeve informed them. "They have a plan to stop Meteor and I want for them to go ahead with it."

"Yes sir!" the trooper replied then they all stepped away and the eleven of us loaded into the two vans that Reeve had snagged the keys for.

"You're coming with us," I stated as I buckled into the front passenger seat of the commandeered van.

"Yes," Reeve replied as he put the van into reverse and backed out of the parking spot. "Sorry that I'll have to use your PHS to keep in touch."

"Don't worry about it, it's the least I could do for you," I assured him as I fished the phone from my pack and handed it to him as he shifted into drive. In the back seat I heard Barret chuckle while Zack and Red remained quiet. Cait Sith took up residence in my lap then, his mog staying in the back. "Aren't you worried about the people of Midgar though?"

Reeve stared at the road for a moment before answering. "If people don't evacuate with just the sight of Meteor and routes available to them, then they won't evacuate. I feel I'll be protecting them better by going with the rest of you at this point."

"That's all good, but where'll you sleep?" Zack asked. "Cait Sith has been on the ship long enough that you should know we have few rooms. The crew and the rest of us all have rooms, but Cait Sith never bothered to take one."

"I don't think you should worry about that for now," Red called out and Barret nodded sagely.

"Barriers' down, we can be there in hours to kick that alien bitch's ass!"

"Then Holy will take care of that rock!" Zack said with a grin.

Red sighed heavily then glanced at each of us. "I'll wait until we reunite with the others to say my piece."

Glancing back at the others I decided this was as good a time as any to think about raiding the Gelnika.

"Hey, I never got the opportunity to ask but do you guys know what was in the airship that WEAPON sank?"

"When we were chasing the Huge Materia?" Zack asked.

"D'ya think there's one more?" Barret demanded as Reeve turned onto the highway leading to the edge of the plate.

"All I got from anyone was that it contained weapons they intended to use to fight Sephiroth," Reeve explained to us.

"So, some stuff that might be useful?" Zack looked sort of excited now.

"Probably."

"Might be worth the effort of looking in on it if we have the time," I suggested.

"Ok, Vincent and Kunsel know how to dive so they can check the wreck!"

"Why just them? If there are extra breath masks then we could take an extra person each!"

"We?" Red asked as he blinked at me.

"I'm a licensed diver," I admitted which drew a laugh from Zack while Reeve smiled.

"Why is it that if there is an activity that promises some form of danger I shouldn't be surprised that you've done it?" Reeve asked.

I smiled at him in turn. "That's not entirely true. Before meeting these guys I had never tried getting lost in snow storms."

"Hey! We weren't lost!" Zack argued while Barret laughed. "We were following the markers! And you still promised us a vacation in Costa Del Sol."

"Sorry, my villa is currently being occupied by several guests who helped me escape Midgar with my plane."

"You own a villa?" Zack looked beyond exasperated at that moment. "Why didn't we stay there when we went through Costa before?"

"Because I didn't own it yet."

Barret actually did laugh now. "Where you put those three up?"

"Yep."

Silence fell for a few moments then a gloved hand slapped the back of my head.

"That's for being so stupid!" Zack yelled at me when I turned to stare at him in surprise.

"I already know!" I replied as I rubbed my head. "Nothing drives that point as much as a march towards a lab."

"Don't think you'll get off light for this!" Zack informed me as Barret nodded.

I groaned and glanced out the window as my fingers ran over the fur behind Cait Sith's ears. The little robot had been surprisingly quiet.

When the airfield came into sight Zack jumped out of the van and raced through the gate towards where the Highwind was tied down. The rest of us followed at a much more sedate pace after Reeve had parked the van, Kunsel parking the second vehicle right next to him.

It was unsurprising that Zack was with Aeris when we all entered the bridge, Reeve was receiving more than a few questioning looks from several of the crew though.

Cait Sith had moved back to his mog now and stood by Reeve and me as we stood near the bay window while everyone else gathered.

It was kind of unsurprising that Barret looked to be in a very good mood at that moment as did Zack and Cloud. Even Vincent didn't seem as dark as normal.

"Shinra's… finished," Cait Sith started our meeting using those words.

"And Meteor could fall any time." Tifa was gazing out the window at the looming rock that was starting to block out the sky over Midgar.

Red chose to speak up then. "Actually, grandfather informed me that we have seven more days."

"Ho ho hoo! That is correct, Nanaki." Bugenhagen seemed to be in pretty good spirits right then as he hovered into the room.

Cloud glanced up at the space rock from where he stood next to Tifa before glancing at the lot of us. "Nanaki, would you like to see everyone in Cosmo Canyon again?"

Red looked struck for a moment then ashamed. He lowered his head a bit, refusing to look at Cloud or anyone. "…Yes."

Cloud nodded then turned to Barret. "And you'd like to see Marlene, right?"

"Don't ask me that." Barret's voice assured everyone that it was a stupid question.

Cloud glanced away from him before looking at everyone again. "We have seven days to take out Jenova and…" His voice caught in his throat before he forced himself to continue. "We might not be successful and die."

"Don't be thinkin you're gonna lose before ya even fight!" Barret practically shouted.

"He's not saying that!" Zack defended.

"What I meant was…" For a moment I saw Cloud as he was often described as being before taken captive by Hojo, a shy, insecure person who didn't want anyone to be hurt. He glanced at Tifa then his eyes moved over to Zack and Aeris, then me, then Barret, Red, Vincent, and everyone. "What are we all fighting for? I want us all to understand that." His eyes then moved to Barret once again. "Save the planet…" Now he was looking to Bugen. "For the future of the planet… Sure, that's all fine. But is that really all it is? Why we're all here?"

Everyone glanced at each other then, Yuffie noticeably pushing in a bit closer to Kunsel while Zack pulled Aeris a bit closer. Tifa stared at Cloud while just about everyone else seemed to be envisioning something. Reeve's arm circled my shoulders then and I allowed myself to lean against him.

"I thought this was a personal feud at first," Cloud continued after a moment. "It was, but not against whom I thought it was, and if possible that made it even worse. I want to settle my past. Saving the planet just happens to be part of that. Realizing that got me thinking and I think we are all fighting for ourselves. Ourselves… and that someone… something… whatever it is that's important to us."

Everyone was nodding then except Zack who shrugged and grinned at Cloud. "We're fighting for ourselves and each other, our friends and what we find important. Heroes are like that Cloud!"

Barret rubbed his head as he turned his own head down slightly. "Cloud's right, sayin it's to save the planet sounds cool, but Cait was right about that mako reactor. Lookin back now, I can see it wasn't the right way to do things. I made a lot of people suffer… And at first it was revenge for my hometown. But now… I'm fightin for Marlene. For her future."

Cloud nodded in understanding. "Then go see her. Make sure this is right. That goes for all of us, we need to get off this ship and find our reasons for this, whatever they may be then come back."

Cid stared at Cloud as though he had grown a third head. "Maybe ain't none of us'll come back. Just forget the useless strugglin."

Zack stared at Cid now, clearly not believing what he had just said. "You don't come back then there is no chance!"

"It's your decision to make," Cloud spoke over Zack. "And I won't hold it against you, whatever you decide."

Barret stared at the blond man, jaw slightly slack before Reeve moved to the navigator's desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote something down then handed the paper to the bulkier man.

"This is the address in Kalm that Marlene is staying at as well as Mrs. Gainsborough," he explained and I saw Aeris lean towards the paper. Of course she'd want to see her mother.

"We'll land just north of Midgar," Cloud told Barret. "We'll meet at that location in four days, anyone who wants to join the fight."

Seeing Vincent turn to head for the door, I called out after him. "Hey, Vincent, Kunsel, may I talk to you guys?"

Vincent's head whipped towards me and he easily walked back as Kunsel walked over, Yuffie next to him.

"Something on your mind?" Kunsel asked.

"The Gelnika," I replied easily. "Reeve said that there was weaponry onboard that Shinra planned to use to fight Sephiroth. I think we should check it out, it shouldn't take more than a day."

Kunsel stared at me for a moment than thought over what I'd said. "We'd need to get the sub from the North Continent but it shouldn't take too long," he admitted.

"I'll come too!" Yuffie volunteered. "It'd take too long to go to Wutai anyway."

Vincent also nodded. "It should be close to where I intend to go."

"We can get this thing to drop us off then and grab the sub then meet in Costa Del Sol. We can get back in my plane," I planned aloud.

Zack glanced over at us when I mentioned my plane. "Think you'd have room for at least two more?" he asked as he glanced at Aeris.

"Okay, so Vincent, Yuffie, Kunsel, Zack, Aeris…"

"Me," Reeve stated firmly.

"Ree-" My eyes went wide and I stared at him before understanding struck. "You want to visit your mother?"

"Good idea, but it's also that I intend to keep an eye on you as well," Reeve replied with a smile. "You tend to get in trouble."

"I also get right back out of it."

Several laughs came from my comment before everyone shuffled around a bit. Cid agreed to take those of us heading to the North Continent there straight away then take Zack and Aeris to Gongaga tomorrow when he'd take Bugen and Red to Cosmo before visiting Rocket Town himself. Since he'd have the Highwind at his command, my plane wouldn't be necessary since he could pick us up enroute.

It was amazing to me how much saying good bye to Aeris, Zack, and Barret as they disembarked made me anxious. It was only for a few days but the separation already bit at me a bit.

Several of the crew also disembarked since they had family in Midgar but a surprising number chose to stay, only some of them because they had no family.

It wasn't even mid-morning when the Highwind took off, headed towards the North Continent. Everyone was tired but sleep was once again elusive and after giving Reeve a brief tour, he and I found ourselves on the deck of the ship, gazing out at the sea. A perfect time to ask a question that had been bothering me for a while.

"Midgar will need you more than ever right now. Why are you coming?"

"Did you not want me to?" Reeve asked as his hand found mine on the railing.

"It would be a lie to say I didn't," was my answer. "But… you can't expect things to work as well if you're not there, can you?"

Reeve looked at me then turned his head back to the view. "If there's something all of this has taught me it's that I can't force my will on people even if I think I know best. I can make suggestions but people will want to do what they want to do. All I can do in Midgar at this point would be to suggest an evacuation and for the Peace troops to keep order."

I sighed then leaned slightly against Reeve's form as we passed through a cloud, the mist cool on our skin.

"We'll be headed for Costa Del Sol after checking the Gelnika?" Reeve asked as we emerged from the cloud.

"Yeah, after I do something really quick in the nearby town. I made a promise that I intend to keep."

"What was that?"

"The weapon collector, he helped me forge my hilt and simply asked that I let him see the completed product."

Reeve nodded slightly. "We should be able to get a transport of some sort there to Costa. Do you really think you'll find anything on the Gelnika?"

"Yes," I replied. "I have a very good feeling about that."


	54. Chapter 54

Saria: Another day, another chapter!

SA: And you turned out two for Baby Madness.

Zas: Man… Being a full-time pilot, writing this story plus another, and participating in an accident investigation right now. When do you find the time for… ANYTHING?!

Saria: I hardly ever sleep!

Tori: One of the reasons she's as addicted to sugar and caffeine as she is.

zzzzzzzzzz

Realizing that Tifa and Cloud had nowhere else to go, before the Gelnika raiding party disembarked when we arrived over the sub at the North Continent I asked if they were interested in coming with us. It was kind of surprising when they declined, even when I suggested they could spend a few days in Costa Del Sol.

Cloud and Tifa seemed intent on remaining in the Highwind and being ready to go the day we headed for the Northern Crater.

"We'll be back," I promised them as we said our goodbyes on the deck.

Reeve took over the sonar station while Kunsel took control of the sub. Vincent and I busied ourselves with checking over the scuba gear and noting which tanks were full and what equipment was in the best state to be used. Cait Sith did a general inventory of the sub. I have no clue what Yuffie did then.

The day moved slowly for everyone as we headed to the place where the Gelnika sank. When we had nothing else to do, everyone gathered in the control room of the sub and watched the scanning with baited breath, hoping WEAPON never showed.

It was around this time that I really began to think about armaments and just how well prepared our group was for facing Jenova. There was still the Typhoon summon that we could get as well as a number of powerful materia still scattered across Gaia. Mimic would be nice to have but I didn't know which cave that was in and we simply didn't have the time to go searching each and every cave for it.

One thing that also occurred to me was that if Aeris and I were both attacking Jenova on a mental plane, who was going to be the healer for the group. A part of me said Vincent but at the same time Cait Sith seemed a good choice. Both were long range fighters with decent magic skills but both also had their problems. Neither were particularly fast and in Vincent's case, if he transformed then he stopped using magic altogether. Cait Sith on the other hand would freeze for several moments if he got a hard hit, especially from a lightning based spell.

Groaning, I leaned my head back against the headrest of the chair and stared out at the passing terrain of the ocean. Maybe I was thinking too hard on this and it would be easier to equip multiple people and have all of them act as second string healers…

"What are you thinking about?" Reeve asked when he heard my groan.

"The upcoming battle mostly."

"Nervous?" His eyes turned to look at me as I shook my head.

"Wondering more about our arsenals as a group. Who will act as healers while Aeris and I attack Jenova mentally, if there is anything we can use to better arm ourselves, anything we might be missing."

"We've got all sorts of materia!" Yuffie pointed out excitedly. "Lots of really high level stuff! All sorts of summons and attacks and weapons!"

"Does everyone?" I countered then nodded towards Vincent. "Last I checked Vincent doesn't have a summon."

Vincent in turn shook his head. "Most summons don't view me as an appropriate caster."

"I'm sure we could find one that is agreeable for you if we tried," I replied then stared out at the sea. "We also have to remember that the fight with Jenova won't be the end of all of this, the WEAPONs are still out there and I don't think they will immediately lie down once Jenova is gone."

Kunsel nodded his agreement to my statement. "I believe that those things will have to be dealt with one way or another for us to have any piece. Still, there is one thing that is bothering me."

"What's that?" Yuffie asked.

"I talked to Cait Sith and Zack when we were still in Icicle Inn then went and looked at those recordings myself," Kunsel admitted. "What has me wondering is the part about a disease that is mentioned by Ms. Ifalna. Thus far we haven't seen anything like that so is it possible we might have to find a way to combat that?"

Good ole Kunsel had just given me the opening I needed to immediately start looking for a cure for Geostigma!

"Aeris and I could talk to the Planet, see what we can find out," I offered. "Since it is a disease created by the Calamity it will most likely have to be magically cured and the Planet is the best resource for that if it should come to pass."

Kunsel and Reeve both nodded in agreement to my statement.

"Well, once we finish with this you'll have a few days to prep for the battle and hopefully start talking about that disease," Kunsel said as he made a slight adjustment to the controls.

"Why?" Yuffie demanded. "I don't see any sick people!"

"It might be Jenova's plan B," Vincent stated.

"Best to plan ahead and have it not necessary than miss out on several days worth of possible research," Reeve added.

Yuffie groaned and rolled her eyes. "So, we're going to spend the next several days researching something that might not even come to pass?"

"No, I'LL be researching and talking to the Planet. Reeve will be organizing Shinra troops as well as he can. Kunsel will likely be assisting him. You can enjoy the beach if you come with us to Costa Del Sol."

Kunsel barked with laughter at my comment. "You assume I'm coming with you guys?"

"You haven't stated any other plans," Cait Sith pointed out.

"You'll get to see Yuffie in a bikini," I teased and everyone laughed when Kunsel went stiff.

"ALRIGHT!" Yuffie cheered with a bounce. "What about Vinny though?"

I glanced over at Vincent quickly. "He's more than welcome to join us." Vincent returned my gaze and I could tell he had other plans. "Will you join us once you finish your business?"

Vincent's garnet eyes studied me for a moment before turning back to the main window. "Alright."

Yuffie blinked then made a weird face as she studied Vincent. "So, what kind of swimsuit will you wear Vinny?"

_**AVALANCHE**_

Nanaki was sitting on the deck as the Highwind set down again just outside of Kalm. Aeris and Zack intended to return in the morning and then they would all set out for the Western Continent.

His grandfather was talking to Tifa and Cloud about something or another, possibly trying to convince them to stay with them for the next few days, and Nanaki could admit that he would be happy if they did.

The group of people he now regarded as friends was a strange one that had many different types of people from many different walks of life but they worked together in an oddly cohesive manner. Never in his life had Nanaki thought he would befriend a SOLDIER after what Shinra had put him through but now he had arguably three for friends. Two Cetra were in the group also and the other humans ranged from former Turks, to survivors of Shinra related massacres, to disgruntled employees.

"Hey Red!" an accented voice called out and he turned to see Cid join him on the deck. "Whatcha doin' up here?" the pilot asked as he stuffed a new cigarette into his mouth and lit up.

"Thinking," Nanaki replied as he gazed back out at the stars that were just now becoming visible.

"Lots to think 'bout these days," Cid said as he leaned back on the railing behind him. "Got that bitch in the North Crater that Aeris and Rachas intend to do something to to save a dead man, the WEAPONs, decidin' if this trip is worth continuin'…"

"You'll come back," Nanaki stated flatly. "We all intend to."

"Are you like Rachas with her mind readin' shit?" Cid demanded as he eyes his companion wearily.

Nanaki shook his head slightly. "I just know all of us will view this as something we must do; some of us even find it personal at this point."

The blond pilot groaned as he took a long drag on his cigarette. "Realize that, but don't make it sound so simple."

"Make what simple?" another voice asked as yet another person joined them on the deck.

"The choice to come back," Cid grumbled as Tifa leaned on the rail across from him. "You and Cloud were talkin' to the old fart for a while."

"Bugenhagen thinks he knows of something that could help Cloud. We just agreed to go him to Cosmo Canyon tomorrow."

Nanaki would have grinned if he had been human.

"We're really scatterin'," Cid said as he put out his cigarette butt on the rail of the ship then tossed the remainder overboard. "When this is all done, we're gonna have to have a party or somethin'."

"I think everyone would agree to that," Tifa replied as she glanced over at Nanaki who nodded his agreement.

_**Normal**_

"So, how are we going to do this?" Yuffie asked once the sunken Gelnika finally came into view.

Kunsel answered as he settled the sub next to the plane. "We're going to use the scuba equipment to swim over. Anyone not comfortable with going?"

I glanced around at our small party before stating, "At least one of us should stay in the sub to scan for WEAPON."

"That person would also be a sitting duck if WEAPON should appear," Vincent said.

"Not as much as we would be if we should leave that ship without knowing it was there." Kunsel agreed with me.

There was a momentary silence before all eyes turned to Reeve who shifted slightly in his seat then shrugged. "I could keep an eye out and report anything to you through Cait Sith," he agreed after a moment.

"And no heroics," I firmly told him which drew a laugh from Yuffie.

"Funny you should tell him that after you did something similar!"

"If you see anything on the sonar, then call us," Kunsel instructed as we walked back to the airlock and Kunsel, Vincent, and I all picked up air tanks. "We'll come back immediately and get out of here."

"The lot of you be careful also, you don't know what you'll find in there," Reeve replied as he reached over to help me hoist the tank into position after I had checked the air gauges and the hoses for the breath mask.

"What could possibly be in that hulk? It's at the bottom of the sea!" Yuffie replied.

_**Midgar**_

Scarlet had just barely managed to regain consciousness though her condition was still considered critical by the nurse who was tending the ward that was in. That was right, WARD, not a private room as she was due. The building was ramshackle though they reassured her was a decent one in the slums.

This was humiliating; she couldn't leave due to hear arm and leg being broken with at least one broken rib and internal bruising. And the doctors had the audacity to tell her that she was lucky!

She had tried multiple times to get in contact with the troops to issue orders but found she was blocked, as far as anyone was concerned that traitor Reeve was in charge now. That alone indicated to her that AVALANCHE was still on the loss.

Scarlet growled lowly as more noises of the public ward reached her ears. She was an executive of the planet's most powerful conglomerate, a member of the Board of Directors! The army was supposed to jump at her word, not ignore her! And when she required medical attention she should have a legion of the best doctors and a private room! Not a singular nurse that refused to apply her moisturizer because some snot nosed teenager in the overcrowded ward needed her to help him by changing his bandages. They weren't that dirty yet!

As soon as she was capable of leaving she would bring order to this damn chaos, and with Rufus and Heidegger out of the way, the Presidency should be hers! That Reeve wouldn't be in power long, she would insure it!

Scarlet made a face as her neighbor chose then to start coughing, turning his head so he was now facing her of all people! Such insolence!

_**Normal**_

"What could possibly be in that hulk?" I declared sarcastically as we cut down yet another one of the flower-like monsters, I think it was an Unknown.

"It's at the bottom of the sea!" Cait Sith added, also with a sarcastic inflexion. Yuffie groaned and rolled her eyes.

"I didn't think monsters came down here!" she defended as she moved into the third room. Thus far she had found a new shuriken, Kunsel had found a Double-cut materia, Cait Sith had grabbed the megalixir, and I had been given the Escort Guard by Vincent.

"Monsters are all over the planet, though I will admit the strength of these is a bit surprising," Kunsel admitted as he moved into the room also.

The rest of us climbed through the door and stared at the last room that would probably be available to us. The Gelnika might have been a good ship in service but in its current condition it was scrap.

"Last room then we head back," Kunsel announced as he shoved open the heavy door into a hangar like cargo bay.

We spread out a bit in the bay, me immediately heading for the far end where I know the Hades materia should be. Spying a glint under the wrecked helicopter, I got down on all fours and crawled under the twisted hulk.

The materia flashed a bit as my hand closed around it, the name Hades flashing through my head as well as a slight warning, namely in that it didn't think we were compatible.

"Hey Vinny!" Yuffie's voice called out and I saw her holding up a gun she had obviously just found as I crawled out from under the wreck.

Vincent took the gun and examined it with a critical eye before handing it back to her. "It's a good gun but what I have is better."

"Try this," I suggested as I handed the Hades materia to him.

Yuffie's eyes instantly widened. "No fair! A materia!" she exclaimed as Kunsel approached with a spear in hand and Cait Sith had a booklet.

"I've told you that most summons don't accept me," Vincent said even as he reached out and took the offered materia before his eyes widened slightly as it briefly flashed.

"I'll take it then!" Yuffie volunteered.

"Seems this one accepted Vincent," I informed her as he slotted the materia into his armlet. Yuffie pouted slightly then glanced at what Kunsel and Cait Sith carried.

"What did you find?" she asked the little robot.

"An instruction book for the Highwind," Cait replied. "Thought it best not to leave it behind, just in case."

Yuffie sighed then glanced at the gun she still held. "Well, guess this wasn't a total waste."

Vincent surprised me then by handing me a bottle that I recognized after a moment as a megalixir. "Found that," he stated before turning and leaving.

"Well, I got something good at least!" Yuffie declared with a laugh as we all turned to follow before I froze as a feeling came racing to me, almost like my sword and the crystal were calling to something.

Glancing across the bay, I tried to home in on what I was feeling and found myself staring at what looked to be a skin

"What're you doing?" Yuffie called after me as I walked over to where the skin lay on the floor and pushed at it with my foot.

"There's something about this…" I replied as I pulled out one of my tantō and really poked at the skin.

"A preserved Serpent skin," Kunsel said as he walked over. "Those are supposed to be pretty valuable for decorative armor because of their beauty."

I narrowed my eyes slightly then pulled out my sword and the crystal, feeling the way they interacted with the hide. They harmonized very well actually and I realized this was the last piece I needed for now.

Pulling my tantō down the length of the hide, I cut a strip of it free. The strip was longer than my arm but I could cut it if needed.

"Man, that is nice!" Yuffie stated as she stared at the remaining hide, a hand running appreciatively over the smooth hide.

"You can take the rest of it, I don't think it'll be missed," I told her as I shoved the strip into my pack and put away my hilt and the crystal. Yuffie yipped happily then shoved the gun into my chest as she grabbed up the remaining skin. There was easily three yards of it and she had to take a few moments to fold it.

"Are you coming or not?" Vincent's voice called from the doorway and we all turned to head out when Vincent's eyes widened slightly and he brought his weapon to bear.

"Whoa! What are you doing?" Yuffie demanded when she saw the gun.

"Move," Vincent stated and we all jumped to the side right as he pulled the trigger.

Glancing back, I saw another one of the ship's monsters, a Serpent from the looks of it!

"Damn it!" Yuffie yelled as she threw down the skin in her arms and yanked out her new weapon.

Vincent's bullet had struck the monster on the side of the head, opening what looked to be a cut and it wasn't happy. It twisted and slapped at the ground with its tail before lashing out at me, teeth bared.

I'm no gun expert nor am I particularly fond of them but the moment that monster turned on me I brought the gun to bare, straining slightly from the weight, and pulled the trigger.

I don't know who the idiot is that leaves a loaded gun sitting around but at that moment I was glad they did as my amateur aim proved true and the Serpent was struck in the eye by the bullet I had just fired. The Serpent writhed in pain from the attack and twisted towards Yuffie and Kunsel as Cait Sith cast a fire spell at the monster.

The Serpent roared and slapped at where it thought an opponent was and Kunsel raised the spear, catching the tail with the pole.

"How does Cid use these things?!" Kunsel shouted as he threw down the spear and pulled out his sword.

Feeling as though I should demand the same thing from Vincent, I set the gun down as well and pulled my tantō from their sheaths as Cait Sith cast another fire spell and Vincent fired another bullet at the Serpent.

Kunsel managed to get in a strong hit but before I could strike as well, Yuffie hurled her new shuriken at the monster, cutting deeply into the underbelly of the snake-like monster.

We all stared this time as the monster seemed to glow brightly and began to shrink, the size quickly becoming about the size of a potion. As the glow faded, we found ourselves staring at a bottle of Source, a Mind Source.

"Ugh…" Yuffie looked a bit green at that moment as did Kunsel and I didn't feel too well myself. "Um… Mind Source… You take it Rachas."

"I'm fine." For some reason or another, finding one of those in a cave wasn't too bad, but seeing a monster turn into one right in front of you made me queasy at the thought of drinking it.

Vincent apparently thought we were all being silly as he demonstrated when he marched straight up to the Source and grabbed it up then shoved it into my face. "You're the most magical of us, don't waste it."

"Wouldn't it make more sense for the least to drink it?"

Vincent shrugged then tossed the Source to Yuffie. Yuffie caught the bottle then made a face and attempted to pass the bottle to Kunsel who shook his head.

"I'm already at my maximum," he informed her.

Yuffie looked about to panic at that moment then her eyes landed on Cait Sith and she uncorked the bottle immediately then grabbed the robot and poured the fluid down the robot's throat.

"I don't think he works that way," I informed Yuffie even as Cait Sith began to gag.

"MONSTER LIQUID!" Cait screamed as he tore out of the cargo bay, leading the way back to where we had left the tanks.

Our swim back to the sub was uneventful in the aside from Cait Sith who seemed to be attempting to force himself to throw up. As soon as we were all back in the sub and the tanks were stowed once more, Kunsel headed back to the control room so he could direct the machine to shore while I looked over the gun that we had found onboard the Gelnika.

To me it looked just like any other gun except it was heavy, much too heavy for me to use long. The magazine looked to hold ten bullets or so and the grip was a bit too big for my fingers. Vincent must have thought so too since he stepped up next to me and took the gun.

"If you want to learn to shoot, I'd suggest a pistol," he told me as he set the gun on a nearby crate.

"Think Reeve could use it then?"

"I could use what?" Reeve's voice asked as he stepped through the door before his eyes landed on the gun. "I've never really learned to shoot."

"Not too late to learn, especially if you intend to be with us for the fight against Jenova," Vincent told him before his eyes shifted to me.

"What do you mean?" Reeve asked.

"When you and Aeris attack Jenova mentally, your physical bodies will be near helpless, right?" Vincent asked.

Thinking over my previous experiences, both in healing Zack and practicing against Bugenhagen, I had to nod. "We won't be able to move while attacking and will probably be a bit slow immediately after."

"Then we need to start planning for the defense of you both," Vincent stated as he once again took the gun from the crate and handed it to Reeve, checking on how well he was able to handle the heavy weapon. "If I transform then I won't be of much use, and with you both out of commission, Cait Sith is the best choice for a spell caster and healer."

Damn, Vincent and I had been thinking of pretty much the same things earlier though he went a step further and was thinking of bringing Reeve into the actual fighting.

"That still leaves Barret and Yuffie to defend us," I pointed out but saw the way Reeve's eyes ghosted over the gun and how his hands tightened on it slightly. "Weren't you planning on going to the cave?"

Vincent's red eyes stared at me as Reeve's brown ones glanced at us both.

"I have a promise to keep, and this seems a better means of insuring it," Vincent replied as he reached out and corrected Reeve's grip on the weapon.

I sighed and leaned against a crate as Reeve and Vincent began going over gripping a gun as well as reloading one and pulled out the strip of Serpent skin I had acquired on the Gelnika as well as my hilt and the crystal. Looping the skin around the crystal then tying it, I wrapped rest of the length in a cross-weave over the hilt to secure the items. The effect was felt instantly by me; I could feel my weapon was now complete and not just operational.

The twenty minutes it took to ascend and head for shore seemed to fly by and then we were all disembarking from the sub for quite possibly the last time. My phone that had been lent to Reeve was almost instantly alive and he yanked it out of his pocket as we headed towards the village of the Weapon collector.

"Scarlet has regained consciousness?" he confirmed and I swore that everyone save Vincent groaned. "No, don't let her leave the clinic. She was unable to think clearly the last time I saw her, unwilling to help stop Hojo he was trying to destroy Midgar. Recent events are proving too much for her. How is the evacuation of the plate going?"

We were all silent as Reeve continued the conversation, obviously catching up on whatever business and happenings had occurred in Midgar since our recent departure. He issued several orders, assignments, and gave the go ahead on using the military's vehicles for evacuating the overcrowded slums into Kalm and the mountains. I'm pretty sure I heard mention of Healen in there as well. One thing though that he did at the end of the conversation was order a complete repeal of the orders to capture and terminate AVALANCHE members and for a public apology to be made for us being wrongfully accused.

"Are we all set?" Reeve asked when he was finally able to hang up the phone, our group having arrived at the bus station we had previously used to get to Corel.

Kunsel shrugged. "The next bus to Costa is in two hours, another red eye special."

Yuffie groaned at the thought of sleeping on another bus. Hopefully she had still had some of the medication for motion sickness that she used on the Highwind.

"Good for me, I have a promise I need to keep," I informed the group.

"The Weapon collector?" Reeve asked.

I nodded and as he moved to follow me, Vincent tapped the executive's shoulder.

"You should start practicing," he ordered and nodded towards the gun that Reeve still carried in one hand.

Reeve glanced down at the gun then back at me before turning to Vincent. "Shouldn't a weapon collector also have a practice range?"

Vincent shrugged but fell in step with us as I led the way to the house.

The collector seemed somewhat surprised to see us though his eyes lit up when I said, "It's finished."

"Great! Would you mind waiting here for a moment?" he asked as he turned towards the backroom before Reeve stepped forward.

"Would you happen to have a shooting range we can borrow?"

"Have one out back, just be mindful of the equipment," the man called back.

Nodding to Reeve and Vincent to indicate that it was okay for them to go ahead, I waited in the main room for the weapon collector to return. It took several minutes and when he did reappear he was pushing the wheelchair of an elderly man that the years had not been entirely friendly to.

"Dad, this is the young woman I told you about," the collector said in a quiet voice. "She said that she completed the sword."

"Your father?" I asked in confusion.

The collector nodded. "The one who tried to construct one of those blades himself," he informed me as he pushed the wheelchair further into the room.

Gently pulling my now completed hilt free of my belt, I held it before me and called on the power of the planet. Unlike before where I had had to focus to get the blade to appear, it seemed to spring to life readily, the energy blade as green as the shallow water of the Bahamas on Earth.

The collector looked taken aback, like he hadn't expected it to actually work then glanced down at his father. The old man stared straight ahead and didn't move or react, not even when my blade had appeared.

"Dad, come on! It's the blade grandpa always spoke about, a real one!" the collector urged but his father gave no signs of responding. He sighed after a few moments then sat back on his heels.

"Thanks for letting us see it," he murmured quietly but didn't look at my blade again and I stopped the flow of power, extinguishing the sword.

"Is he ok?"

"Alzheimer's," the collector replied flatly. "I was hoping to see him react one more time and your weapon sounded like the perfect thing to snap him out of it even if just for a second."

"I'm sorry," I told him but he waved me off.

"I really did want to see that blade and I hope that somewhere in his head he saw it too. You know that that was one of the last things he remembered before becoming like this? How much he wanted to see one of those Ancient weapons…"

I wished I could do something, but Alzheimer's was a loss of brain function and a healing a brain wasn't something I think is within my ability. Instead, I watched a man attempt to get his stricken father to react for several more seconds before stepping out and walking around the house to where Reeve and Vincent were going through a marksmanship lesson.

Reeve was better able to hold the gun than I had been so his aim wasn't based wholly on luck, but he wasn't anywhere near the league of Vincent. His shots usually ranged about halfway to center, some hitting the bulls eye, most being off by several inches.

"Some accuracy but not much precision," I graded after a few moments of watching the practice.

Vincent nodded slightly at my evaluation before addressing Reeve. "Your aim is better than average but single shot guns are probably not the best for you, though I'm loath to suggest another weapon with so little time to work with."

Reeve sighed heavily as he lowered his gun and stared at the target before glancing at my tantō.

"Why do you prefer knives?" he asked as we headed back towards the bus station.

I glanced down at them myself for a moment before answering. "In close quarters fights a knife has the advantage over a gun. That's important to remember in case you find yourself fighting a hijacker."

Reeve seemed surprised though Vincent not so much. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, the advantage is supposed to be up to 19 feet but I've heard plenty of people say that it is further than that."

"What happens if they're further than 19 feet?"

"It means I run away," I responded. "The point of my weapons is to avoid a fight if I can and defend myself if I can't."

Reeve laughed slightly as the bus station came into view then glanced at his watch. "We still have time to get some dinner before the bus leaves," he offered and Vincent seemed to jump up and fly off, his cloak billowing in the wind, leaving just the two of us.

I blushed a bit as I glanced over at Reeve. "Have you seen anything interesting?"

_**Highwind**_

Aeris and Zack climbed aboard the Highwind right before sunrise and the pilot of the airship eagerly took off, intent to make the multi-leg trip as quickly as he could.

Aeris seemed a bit tired but happy after spending the previous day with her adoptive mother and family as well as Barret, Marlene, Jessie, and Wedge. The house had been noisy and overcrowded but she had loved being there.

Elmyra had been a bit hard on Zack once they explained all that had and was happening, her demands that he insure Aeris made it home safe were met with firm resolve that it would happen.

The real surprise for those who weren't on the frontlines came when Aeris revealed that Rachas was an Ancient/Cetra as well and had been teaching her some things. She demonstrated a bit of levitation to her mother and Zack even spoke of her healing him after he had fallen into the Lifestream. Elmyra was oddly quiet about her thoughts on such things but seemed to accept that such things could happen.

The two had left after many promises they would come back and Barret shouting at them to make sure he wasn't forgotten in the mess of reorganizing and heading for the North Crater.

It was now as they stood together, watching the landscape pass underneath them rapidly that the two had truly been alone after so long. They had had moments, brief snatches of time where it had felt it was just the two of them, but there was always something that drove home the fact that it wasn't. There were fights, traveling, plans, meetings, and cramped quarters that had always been present.

Zack glanced at the woman he had thought of for four years and risked life and limb to return to. She had in turn waited for him for four years, writing many letters without much hope that he would receive them. Since reuniting they had seen each other at their worst, their best, and their most desperate. They had both trained and grown stronger and he still loved her, more than ever at this point.

"Aeris, there's something… We've been together now for…" Zack searched for the words he wanted to say furiously. As the green eyes of the woman he loved turned to him he suddenly knew exactly what it was he wanted to say.

"Aeris, once this is all finished, would you marry me?" the former SOLDIER asked as he sank to one knee before her.

Aeris's eyes widened slightly at the proposal and she stared at him in faint shock.

"I know that I'm not the best person, I've failed several times and sometimes said the wrong thing, but I always feel stronger around you. Like the man I want to be. If you would have me…"

"Alright."

The answer was quiet but Zack heard it clearly and now he was staring at her in slight shock. "What?"

"Yes, Zack Fair. I'll marry you," Aeris said as tears began to form in her eyes.

_**Normal**_

Reeve and I decided on a small restaurant that seemed to be family owned and got our food to go. It wasn't surprising that due to the proximity to the ocean that seafood was the main focus of the menu and thankfully they had a version of shrimp scampi that looked interesting.

We ate in the park that was across the street from the bus station, exchanging bits of conversation. Reeve decided that he would retain control of Shinra for a little while since it would be most capable of trying to keep the population moving once this situation was resolved but he wasn't sure of where to go after. He was truly through with the company and would sooner dissolve the company than allow someone like Scarlet to take command.

"Rufus might finally be willing to listen once he has recovered enough," I pointed out and Reeve's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Is he alive?"

"Yes," I confirmed and Reeve looked relieved but also hesitant. "If this doesn't teach a lesson then he is incapable of learning."

"Hey guys!" a voice shouted as Reeve nodded and we both glanced over to see Yuffie heading towards our table, a takeout box in hand. "You guys got dinner too?" she asked as she plunked herself down next to me and I saw Kunsel also walking towards our table though he wore a bit of an apologetic look.

"Care to join us?" I asked in a belated fashion as Yuffie popped open her box to reveal a burger and fries.

"Yeah! What are you guys eating anyway? Smells kind of funny." Yuffie glanced into my box and stared at the shrimp, noodles, and vegetables with a strange level of interest.

"Lemon-garlic shrimp in a white wine sauce," I replied as I twirled some of the pasta on my fork.

"Doesn't look very fun."

"It tastes excellent. How is yours?" I asked Reeve as Kunsel sat next to him, opening his own takeout box to reveal a chicken sandwich and fries.

"Very good, an excellent choice," he responded with a smile.

Yuffie took a big bite of her burger then. "Where's Vinny?" she asked as she chewed.

"I'm not sure but he's pretty good at showing up where he needs to be," Reeve told her as he took a bite of his own dinner. I noticed he made a point to not look at her face.

"Turks are good for that and showing up where you don't want them to be," Kunsel said before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Then let's pray they aren't in Costa," I said lightly as we continued to eat.

The meal was a bit rushed after that then the lot of us joined Vincent and Cait Sith at the station and boarded the bus. This bus was actually empty with the exception of three other people, none of them carrying bags or suitcases of any sort.

Vincent situated himself in a seat at the back of the bus while Yuffie and Kunsel sat in one of the middle rows. Kunsel had actually brought some of the motion sickness medication for Yuffie so she was fine at the moment. Cait Sith hopped back to just behind Yuffie and Kunsel while Reeve and I took the fourth row bench.

For once I didn't mind who had the window seat as I leaned against Reeve slightly in the dark bus as it pulled away from the station. In just days we would be facing the Calamity, Aeris and I trying to free Sephiroth's trapped soul, and Reeve seemed intent to come with us. For right now what mattered to me was being able to enjoy Reeve's company while I could.


	55. Chapter 55

Saria: Chocolate… chocolate…

SA: She's wiped out.

Tori: She's averaged about four hours of sleep over the last three days, what do you expect?

Zas: So now she is mindlessly pursuing caffeine in any form?

Tori: Pretty much.

zzzzzzzzzz

_**Highwind**_

Zack was ready to start calling everyone the moment Aeris accepted his proposal but she insisted that they wait until after the final fight. She did however agree to tell his parents before they left.

It was a giddy Zack that had practically skipped through the Highwind and scared the living daylights out of the remaining crew. The cook had even tried to hide the syrup when he had gone into the mess hall and helped himself to a pancake breakfast. Apparently they found something terrifying about a SOLDIER, even a former SOLDIER, skipping around with a large sword, wearing a huge grin.

Cloud seemed certain that he had dosed himself with something and had tried to take him to the infirmary then decided he was just sugar high.

Aeris was smiling also but no one seemed to find her terrifying.

Because they had taken off so early and had flown in the direction that the sun traveled, it was morning when they arrived in Gongaga.

The couple had disembarked happily, insuring several times that Cid was planning to come back and pick them up in three days.

"Yeah yeah, I gotcha," Cid had told them as he waved them off. "Got several more to drop off now so get your asses rolling!"

The walk through the jungle that day had seemed like a particularly bright and beautiful one for both of them; even the cemetery next to the village entrance hadn't been able to dampen their moods.

Locke and Terra were working in the garden when they had walked up together, Terra noticing them first.

"So many visits recently, are you thinking of moving back?" his mother called as she stood from the garden.

"Not quite yet," Zack called back as he grinned happily at his parents as they slowly approached.

"Well, with what's in the sky I guess we should have expected you to show up sooner or later," Locke said as he stepped up next to his wife. "So, what's your plan?"

"We know of a way to stop that rock, but we also have other news," Zack informed his parents as they turned towards the house.

"What would that be son?" Locke asked as he opened the door for Terra.

Zack glanced at Aeris then grinned as he took her hand after they had stepped into the house. "Aeris and me are going to get married!"

Terra stumbled slightly then a large smile spread across her face as she approached Aeris and grabbed her hands while Locke let out a hearty laugh and slapped his son on the shoulder.

"There's so much to plan for!" Terra called out excitedly as she gave Aeris's hands a squeeze. "A dress, the feast, will your friends be able to make the ceremony?"

"Hey hey! We're leaving in three days so let's enjoy ourselves for now!" Zack declared.

"Three days?" Terra seemed to deflate a bit then straightened up. "Well, it will be rushed but we can still put together something nice."

Aeris laughed slightly when she realized what Terra was thinking.

"We're going to stop Meteor first," Aeris told the woman. "After that we should have time to plan."

Terra seemed to freeze for a moment then sighed. "Of course, you should deal with this threat first."

Locke laughed slightly. "I think your mother is disappointed," he informed Zack.

_**Normal**_

Our arrival in Costa Del Sol was punctuated by the growling of Yuffie's stomach almost the moment the bus stopped. She groaned loudly as we all made our way off the bus and stretched by the roadside.

"Vehicles are evil," the green ninja stated as she staggered a bit.

Kunsel on the other hand laughed a little as he offered his arm for support. "You'll get used to it eventually. You're already doing better than previously."

Beside me Reeve stretched as well as he gazed up and down the street that was already busy with morning foot traffic. People milled about, running to shops, cafes, or the beach. There was still the frantic air though of people who seemed certain that the end was almost upon them but were intent to enjoy themselves until it came. Alcohol was also abundant.

"So, where's this villa of yours?" Kunsel asked once we had all stretched a bit and Yuffie's pallor was a bit more of a normal color.

"Near the square on the west road out of town," I replied as Reeve began to lead the way.

"The old Shinra vacation villa," Reeve explained and Kunsel's eyes widened a bit.

"You bought that place?" he demanded as we headed towards the town square. "When and how did you manage that?"

"Right after escaping Midgar after the rocket incident," I explained as we entered the town square and walked past the soft stand. "I bought it to hide some people who helped me when I got away."

"So they're there too?"

"Yep. And don't worry too much, Reeve knows these people personally and Vincent has also met them."

Kunsel glanced at Vincent who nodded before turning to Reeve.

"My mother, a young boy, and his mother," Reeve told him.

"It'll be good seein Ruvie again!" Cait Sith bounced next to us as we passed the bar and turned onto the street where the villa was located.

Yuffie glared at the wall that bore the Shinra name and I shrugged to her. "I haven't had the time to repaint it."

Seeing as how I had left the keys to the villa with Ruvie, Chloe, and Denzel, we had to knock when we arrived at the door. Several moments of silence passed then Denzel opened the door and grinned broadly the moment his eyes landed on Reeve and me.

"Mom, Ruvie, Reeve and Rachas are here!" he yelled back into the house and moments later Ruvie was making her way to the parlor as the rest of us entered the house.

Unsurprisingly, Reeve stepped up and warmly embraced his mother as rest of us dropped our packs by the door.

"What a great surprise!" Ruvie exclaimed happily as Chloe walked into the room as well. "We were just about to have breakfast, so everyone into the kitchen!"

Yuffie didn't need to be told twice as she yipped happily and flipped over Denzel to race towards the smell of food.

Denzel stared after her wide eyed before noticing Kunsel and had stared at the man's glowing eyes. "Mom, a SOLDIER!"

Chloe sighed heavily before glancing at Reeve. "Any news from Midgar?" she asked as we headed for the kitchen.

Reeve glanced down at Denzel before giving Chloe a meaningful look. "Due to some issues and happenings, I'm currently in charge of Shinra," he informed her and both Chloe and Ruvie's eyes went wide.

"Reeve is in charge of Shinra?!" Denzel asked. "So, can you get the SOLDIERs to destroy the Meteor?"

"That's what we're doing," Kunsel told the boy as we entered the kitchen and found Yuffie already stuffing her face with pancakes. "We have a plan that will be implemented in a few days. With any luck it should work."

Denzel grinned happily before he also ran to the serving table and joined Yuffie in wolfing down pancakes. Ruvie sighed then moved over to the stove where I saw a bowl full of batter that she dipped out onto a hot skillet.

"This'll just take a few minutes," she assured the rest of us as Chloe headed for one of the cabinets and began pulling out extra plates.

"So, you guys going to go to the beach?" Denzel asked between bites. "I'm going today, been almost every day!" He looked like he had been going too. His clothes had been changed out to a t-shirt and swim trunks and had a bit of a tan forming.

"Need swimsuits," Yuffie told him, her mouth filled with mashed up pancake.

_**Cosmo Canyon**_

Cloud and Tifa waved as the airship took off, heading north to Rocket Town. Neither felt any drive to head for their hometown and had Bugenhagen not insisted they come to Cosmo Canyon, they probably would have stayed on the Highwind or maybe have gone with Zack and Aeris.

Currently Nanaki was heading up the stairs to the village with Bugen floating along behind him so they both turned towards the stairs and followed the pair.

"So where are these things that you think would assist us?" Cloud asked as the passed the gate guard who let them pass without problem.

"Ho ho hoo! Impatient are we?" Bugen asked with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll head out later today after Nanaki has a few minutes to see his friends and I can check on some things. Feel free to enjoy the Canyon until then."

Cloud shrugged slightly then glanced over at the ever present Cosmo Canyon fire. Tifa followed his gaze then led the way towards the bonfire as Nanaki and Bugenhagen headed up the staircase to the tunnels that were chiseled through the large mount.

The pair stared at the fire for several moments as the sun rose higher in the sky and the heat of the day was added to the heat of the fire.

"I guess this is better than waiting for everyone on the airship," Tifa started as they stood next to one another.

Cloud nodded. "We don't have anywhere or anyone to go home to, but neither do several of the others."

"You're right," Tifa admitted before nodding towards the small pub that sold Cosmo Candles and they both headed towards the establishment. "They'll come back, won't they?"

Cloud offered her a small smile. "Yeah, I'm pretty certain they will. Zack will probably be clamoring to go, Aeris will be with him, and Vincent seems intent to go as well. Everyone has something or someone irreplaceable they want to hold onto."

Tifa didn't need to put in words how she felt as her hand found Cloud's and she gave it a firm squeeze. "Before now we always seemed so far apart," she finally said as they sat at an open table. "Then when we were in the Lifestream, I was certain that I heard your voice. You were calling me."

Cloud looked thoughtful and slightly pained as he attempted to remember that painful time as he had tried to sort out who he was. In the end, despite Zack always being there to help and confirm, to assure him of who he was and had been, it was Tifa that had put the pieces back together with him. "I heard you calling me…" he admitted in turn. "Calling me back from the stream of consciousness. Finally fulfilling my promise to you."

Tifa stared out the door for a moment then realized that the bartender hadn't approached them yet and a glance showed that the man understood they needed a private moment. A new thought crossed her mind then as she remembered how Rachas and Red were always stargazing and how when they were here before they had heard the stars. "Do you think the stars can hear us? See how hard we're fighting?"

"I don't know," Cloud admitted. "Whether they can or can't makes little difference though and we should still give this fight our all."

"Believe in ourselves?" Tifa offered.

"And one day we'll find the answer. That's something I learned from you in the Lifestream," Cloud replied as he glanced at his hands. "There are a lot of things I wanted to talk to you about though I'm not sure what or how to say those things. I guess things haven't really changed."

"Yes they have," Tifa argued as she noticed that their hands had never disconnected. "People have far more than words when it comes to expressing their thoughts." To emphasize her point, she gave Cloud's hand an extra squeeze.

Cloud now glanced at their hands in turn before a smile crossed his own face and he returned the squeeze gently.

_**Normal**_

Breakfast with everyone gathered was excellent though there weren't enough places that the table for everyone to sit. The extra people in our group spilled out into the living room where we were very mindful of the couches and chairs as we balanced our plates in our laps. Unsurprisingly Chloe and Ruvie joined us out there leaving Denzel, Yuffie, and Cait Sith with the kitchen to themselves.

"What has happened?" Ruvie demanded immediately as she sat in what I guessed was her favorite seat.

Kunsel, Reeve, and I glanced at one another before I shrugged and decided the beginning was the best place to start.

"It all started shortly after AVALANCHE bombed the sector 1 reactor and Shinra decided to drop the sector 7 plate," I began and Chloe huffed slightly.

"Why do you keep claiming it was Shinra?" she demanded.

"Because it was," Reeve cut in as his hand found mine slightly. "AVALANCHE fought to try to protect the support pillar, one of their members actually buying the extra twenty minutes that allowed most of the people on the plate to evacuate."

Chloe looked flabbergasted while Ruvie's face was slightly pinched as she gazed at Reeve then noticed our hands.

"That member froze the pillar using an Ice spell before being captured while completely drained and unable to move," Reeve continued then nodded towards me and both Ruvie and Chloe's eyes widened a bit.

"So you're a member of AVALANCHE," Ruvie started slightly though she didn't seem very surprised. "And from the sound of it, the person who froze the pillar of sector 7."

"AVALANCHE broke me and another girl out of the labs then we left Midgar," I continued. "We were chasing after a man at the time that was responsible for some rather nasty things, or at least we thought he was. In route we were joined by several others, including Cait Sith." I stopped as Reeve squeezed my hand, signaling he wanted to continue.

"Through Cait Sith I found out that Mako really is destroying the planet and that Shinra has done many things that I wasn't aware of, amongst those things were the destruction of several towns, human experimentation, and a general disregard of facts that were staring them in the face."

Chloe looked very pale now while Ruvie looked more thoughtful.

"When Meteor was summoned, Shinra had been trying to find a fictional place called "The Promised Land" with the intent of building there. They found a wound on the planet instead and… Some things happened which involved an alien entity…" Reeve was flushing slightly now and I couldn't blame him. He had to tell a completely serious story that involved magic, fights, and an evil alien intent to destroy the planet.

"A Calamity known as Jenova used the Black Materia to summon Meteor," Kunsel continued. "AVALANCHE was blamed by Shinra for the sake of having scapegoats and because they didn't want it getting out that one of their scientists was the reason Jenova was able to move."

"I used Cait Sith to help them escape custody in Junon after hearing several of the executives and a scientist talk about sending several members to a lab and having the rest executed as a means to "appease the public"," Reeve continued. "After that they moved about, evacuating towns Shinra or the WEAPONs would have destroyed. They found a solution for Meteor and it should happen soon, it is dealing with Jenova that is the big deal now."

Ruvie and Chloe both stared in disbelief at the explanation, it was easy to see they were incredulous but Ruvie was the one to relax first.

"I may find that story farfetched, but I will trust my son," she finally stated. "Since your business isn't finished yet, how long do you intent to be here?"

"Three days," Reeve confirmed. "We'll be here three days before departing to hopefully end this problem."

"What about us?" Chloe demanded suddenly.

"I assume you'll be staying also," I replied as I set down my plate.

"What about after?" she demanded. "I've lost almost everything now! I almost lost my son!"

"And there are plenty of people who did lose everything," I retorted as I stood and took my plate into the kitchen as my thoughts went to Tifa, Cloud, Vincent, and Barret. Everyone had lost something extremely precious and I couldn't tolerate Chloe's self pity.

"What is wrong with her?!" Chloe demanded loudly as I turned on the water to rinse my plate. "She's just been running around, doing this and that."

"Shinra destroyed her hometown," Reeve's voice quietly cut in. "She lost her family and since this all started she has lost her plane, her business, and Shinra has also attempted to force her into a life as a specimen in the science labs."

"At least she has gotten the plane back," Ruvie's quiet voice echoed slightly.

Denzel headed for the beach with Chloe several minutes later and my PHS began to go off again. Reeve had been quick to answer and Kunsel began to act as his secretary, taking down notes for the other man and making suggestions on where supplies could be obtained or how to deal with the rising monster problems.

Yuffie left a few minutes later to go buy a swimsuit and after checking through my clothes and supplies, I decided to see if I could find some extra clothes that were more appropriate to the weather of Costa Del Sol later. For right now though, I had something more important to attend to.

Heading downstairs to the basement to insure I wouldn't be disturbed, I sat down to meditate and easily allowed myself to disconnect from my body and begin my search for the cure for Geostigma.

Previously when I connected to the Planet there was always an abundance of information though Minerva had always been happy to give me the answers I needed. Things were a bit different this time. Minerva didn't respond to me when I called and instead I found myself swimming through the memories of the Planet. Desperately I pushed against the tide and tried to find the answers or any information on Jenova but found the flow of the Lifestream to be far too turbulent.

Throughout the entire stream of life I felt the desperation of the Planet, the way that all life was crying for the taint of Jenova to be washed away.

'How?' I called as I tried to find some memory on how Jenova's disease had been combated previously. My calls went unanswered with the exception of various cries that pleaded for the Calamity to be stopped, for Meteor to be diverted.

My head was aching when I returned to my body and I felt relatively drained right then. I had made no headway on this which was a different experience. Usually when I had a problem here on Gaia it was easily resolved, so why was this so different? I already knew that the cure for Geostigma involved water that washed away Jenova's taint, so why was it so difficult to find? Was it because the Planet was so distressed? And why wasn't Minerva responding right now?

Groaning, I stood up and noticed for the first time how stiff my legs felt. Glancing at my watch gave no answer as to what time it was here anymore, we had moved around too much for me to keep proper track of time.

The sun seemed to be low in the sky though as I exited the strangely empty house but it was in the west so I had somehow spent most of the day in meditation.

The streets were still busy with various people as they ran into the shops that lined the town square, one of them looked like a promising store to buy some clothes and I entered quietly.

The store proved that unlike the shoe shop I had visited previously to be very busy. Men and women bustled through the stands, picking over the various articles of clothing. Picking through the tank tops, I chose a dark green top and grabbed a white short sleeved hoodie from the shelf behind it. A pair of khaki shorts completed the outfit and I jumped into the checkout line.

I changed in the public restroom down the street and shoved my old clothes into the bag that my new ones had been in. Unsure of what to do now or where anyone could be, I walked towards the beach.

Removing my shoes and walking through the sand was a great experience and after a few minutes I found myself just standing at the edge of the water, letting the waves roll over my feet.

The problem that was being faced in regards to Geostigma was that water could clean and wash but I had only ever seen it deal with surface dirt. Jenova's taint would be much deeper than just the surface, it would be an honest to god disease and I just couldn't see how water would deal with that in real life.

I was so wrapped up in my musings that I didn't hear the feet that approached or sense the person as I usually could.

A pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders and I jumped a bit. "It's just me," Reeve reassured me. "What were you thinking of?"

"The disease of Jenova," I replied. "I tried to ask the Planet about it all day but there has been no head way. The Planet is too afraid, too turbulent."

"Maybe it'll be easier once this is finished and the Planet realizes it is no longer in danger?" he suggested.

"I'm afraid that that might be a bit late," I told him as we turned towards the village to head for the house. "How was your day?"

Reeve told me as we headed for the villa that he and Kunsel had been in a phone conference until the early afternoon. The Budget Department of Shinra was up in arms as they tried to demand how everything was going to be paid for after Reeve had ordered for Mako production to be cut in half. He had had a number of engineers and technicians relocated to Junon with the intent of having them begin building the dam we had talked about a while ago. His hopes to keep people busy and put alternative energy in place were generally well received but there were so many screaming "budget".

"Some people just can't see too far ahead," I admitted as we turned down the street that led to the villa.

"I also had another marksmanship lesson with Vincent," Reeve admitted as we climbed the steps to the villa and he insisted on holding the door open.

Ruvie greeted us warmly when we entered the house and the smells of some sort of dinner emanated from the kitchen.

"What are you making?" Reeve asked as he curiously sniffed the air also.

"A local recipe given to me by the man in the pub," Ruvie replied as we followed her into the kitchen and I instantly recognized most of the dishes that everyone was serving themselves from.

"Pico de gallo, tacos, and jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese!" I said with a laugh as I stared at the table then noticed the cake pan by the stove. "Is that tres leches?"

"So you're familiar with the cuisine here?" Ruvie asked as she handed us each a plate and I eagerly took a tortilla, added some of the beef and pico de gallo before folding the ends and wrapping it. After spending two years in Mexico I'd be ashamed of myself if I couldn't recognize this food or properly prep a taco!

"Yes, I spent a fair amount of time in a location like this," I admitted as I moved down the table. Reeve decided to be brave and took one of the jalapenos before we joined the others in the living room. "But why fiesta food tonight?"

"Denzel pointed out that it was a special occasion," Chloe said and I glanced over at the woman. She didn't seem as aloof as she normally did, guess it had finally sunk in that Shinra wasn't the light she had thought it to be.

"How do you eat this messy stuff?" Yuffie demanded and I laughed when I saw she had just rolled her taco so all the filling was slipping out.

"In your case I would suggest a fork or spoon," I informed her as Kunsel laughed slightly at her predicament.

"Man… Can't you make that stuff you made back at Zack's parent's place?" Yuffie asked as she glanced at me. "That stuff was pretty good."

"Shrimp Creole?" I had thought after that uncomfortable meal that I probably wouldn't make that recipe ever again but the thought of letting Reeve try what was one of my favorite foods was oddly enticing.

"Sounds good to me," Kunsel threw in and when I glanced at Reeve he nodded with a smile.

"I can look for ingredients tomorrow."

Yuffie cheered and fist pumped at my agreement while Ruvie looked a bit thoughtful.

"I take it then that you're a decent cook?" she asked as everyone continued to eat.

"I'm ok, my grandmother was the talented one and she taught me."

"What about your mother?"

I froze with my taco halfway to my mouth then set it back on my plate as a bad taste invaded my senses. "She… didn't cook."

"What did she do?"

"Worked." My replies were short and to the point now, even Denzel must have picked up on my discomfort since he spoke next.

"What's that food they want you to make?" he asked as he took another bite of his mostly meat taco.

I smiled at the kid, thankful for a change in subject. "It's made with celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes, shrimp, rice, peppers, and seasonings," I explained. "It's always been one of my favorites."

Denzel crinkled his nose a bit, probably because of all the vegetables listed. "Peppers…" he said in a disgusted voice which drew a laugh from most of us.

Vincent was his normal quiet self during this entire time, not saying much of anything. When we had finished our food he surprised everyone by accepting Ruvie's offer of dessert and joined the rest of us for a piece of the tres leches.

Several hours later we all became aware of a new problem. The first part of that problem was that there were three bedrooms and not enough beds for all of us. Chloe volunteered to share with Denzel and they took the room that had a full size bed. That left two more rooms to be divided by the rest of us. At first the best choice seemed to be to divide us by men and women but the two remaining rooms had three twin beds in one room and a king size bed in the last one.

Though we were all girls, I wasn't too keen on trying to share a bed with Ruvie and Yuffie was a kicker. I doubted though that Reeve, Kunsel, or Vincent were thrilled at the notion of sleeping together either.

Kunsel ended up being the one to solve the dilemma when he pulled out his sleeping bag and announced that he would sleep in the living room and Vincent called the couch. That left Reeve in the room with the king bed and Ruvie, Yuffie, and me sharing the room with the three twins.

About an hour after we had all tried to go to bed, I was still up and restless. All too soon we would be facing Jenova, Aeris and I would be trying to cut out a trapped soul, and then there would be Geostigma. I had hoped to get a head start and an easy answer for Geostigma but my lack of success was a bit heavy on my mind.

Wandering onto the back porch on the villa, I stared up at the bright stars. They were oddly bright but considering that everyone turned off their lights at night to try to avoid attracting monsters at night, I guess that should be expected.

"Why did I just know you'd be out here?" Reeve asked a few minutes later as he stepped out behind me.

"Guess I'm just predictable like that," I responded as he stepped up next to me and looked upwards.

Reeve stared up at the sky alongside me for a moment then pointed at one bright cluster of stars. "Bahamut is bright tonight."

I nodded as my eyes continued to rove over the sky before a faint echo reached me and I found myself staring at a certain star, not too bright but not dim either. That was Earth's sun, I was certain of it.

Reeve followed my gaze and saw the cluster of stars that I seemed to be transfixed by. "Enki."

"Why are you awake?" I asked after a moment.

"Probably the same reason as you," he replied. "So much has happened, is happening, and will come to pass soon. I keep wondering if I have done everything I can."

"We were thinking along the same lines then," I admitted.

We stood out on the porch for a few more minutes and then Reeve took my arm and led me back into the house.

_**Rocket Town**_

Seeing his old crew and team, knowing that it might be the last time he saw any of them, was ethereal sensation for Cid. Shera had been with him on the Highwind but she had kept mostly to the engine room so it wasn't quite the same. Still though, that night as he sat in his house for the first time in weeks as Shera made tea, Cid could honestly say he missed all of this.

He hadn't appreciated it the way he should have previously, that was the conclusion the pilot was currently coming to. He had been so angry, so disappointed at missing out on his dream. Well, he had gotten that dream now only for him to admit that unlike what he had thought previously, he was not ready to go now that he had had his dream.

This was his town where everyone respected him and referred to him as "Captain". Cid wasn't ready for all of this to fade.

Glancing up as Shera set his cup of tea before him, Cid for once actually looked at the woman who had dedicated her life to him after he had saved it, an action that had probably saved his as well. She had put up with all his abuse and did everything she could to help him realize his dream, even before that fateful day and now she was still here.

In three days he would return to everyone with the Highwind and go to that damned crater. He's help fight that Sephiroth/Jenova/whatever the hell that thing was. Then he'd come back here.

Cid almost laughed as he grabbed his tea and for once just sipped at it, enjoying the flavor. It was sad but true, the one person he had always been willing to give up his dream for though he had never even realized it, was also the person who be his main reason for fighting that monster and once this was all over… He'd change. He'd be the one apologizing and making up for his previous behavior to Shera. Not that he was going to make the tea though; she had suffered enough without tasting his tea.

_**Cosmo Canyon**_

It was late in the afternoon when Cloud, Tifa, Red, and Bugen departed from the village, the elder leading the way south over rather rough terrain. As night was falling they were approaching a rather sheer looking cliff that Bugenhagen seemed rather gleeful about informing them they had to climb.

Cloud at first thought he would have to carry Red up the cliff but the wolfish lion surprised him by stating he could make his own way up. And since Bugenhagen didn't require any hand up that left Cloud and Tifa climbing the cliff alone. It was fully dark by the time they reached the top.

"Are we camping… here tonight?" Tifa asked as she tried to catch her breath but Bugenhagen shook his head.

"I've no intent to stay here longer than I have to," the elder replied as he led the three to what appeared to be a small forest atop this plateau.

"What is this place?"Red asked in wonder as he felt several presences amongst the trees.

"The Ancient Forest," Bugen replied as he led the way in.

"Ancient?" Cloud asked. "Shouldn't we have brought Aeris or Rachas then?"

"I meant Ancient as in old," Bugenhagen informed him. "Though the Cetra may have a presence here I don't believe it is considered a hallowed or esteemed place."

The forest proved to be a confusing and treacherous place to navigate. Everywhere that you looked there was a giant flower or plant that Bugenhagen informed them could and would devour them if given the chance. More than once Cloud found himself pulled back by Tifa or pulling her back to avoid one of those flowers.

Their path however had a number of prizes. One particular flower that Cloud accidentally shoved a stone on, causing it to close, revealed a materia that it took a moment to identify as a Slash-All. They also found a gun that looked like something Vincent could use. They had to climb into the dark trees though when a particularly large man-eating flower blocked them from going any further.

"What kind of place is this?" Tifa demanded as Cloud helped her through the branches that she could barely make out in the darkness. She yelped as something caught her foot and yanked it up and caught the slight flash of something in her eye. Reaching down, she pulled an oddly ornate armlet free from the branches. "How sure are you about this place not being Ancient grounds?"

"Pretty certain," Bugenhagen called back. "Then again, the last Cetra I knew before your two friends were children almost thirty years ago. They might not have known about this place."

Tifa rolled her eyes and tucked the armlet into her pack while Cloud's sharp eyes caught a glint coming from a tree nearby.

"Wait here," he told Tifa before looking around for a way to cross over to the tree. He finally decided to test a nearby vine to see how sturdy it was.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked when she saw him grab a vine.

"It's alright; I'm just checking some-THING!" Cloud exclaimed the last part in shock as the vine seemed to pull back like an elastic cord, launching him up and into the air. His eyes caught sight and another vine and he grabbed at it only for it to have a similar elastic effect and threw him closer to the tree, close enough to grab it.

"Cloud? Are you alright?" Tifa called after him.

The blond took a moment to breath before responding. "I'm fine. I'll be back in a moment." Turning towards where he had seen the glint, Cloud was surprised to find a rather odd looking summon materia sitting in a hole in the tree bark. Grabbing up the materia, Cloud considered the vines then glanced down at the ground and decided he would sooner climb down than risk those vines.

"I'll be climbing down," he called to Tifa and Bugenhagen.

"Alright, we'll meet you on the ground," Tifa called back as she made her own descent.

Red met them both on the ground, having been able to creep past most of the insane vegetation. "I found a cave this way," he said as he indicated the direction. "It also seems to mark the end of the forest."

"Thank goddess," Tifa said as she glanced around them then followed Red as Cloud fell into step behind her.

Bugenhagen didn't say a word as they entered the cave and Red headed for the north end as Tifa and Cloud approached an enclave at the southern end. The two humans soon found themselves staring at an ornate sword that was stabbed into the ground and Cloud almost shyly approached the weapon.

The sword was strong; he could feel it though not as strong as his current sword which had been found in the wreckage of that hulking Proud Clod that had been operated by Scarlet and the now late Heidegger. It did allow a faster than usual growth rate for materia though.

Deciding not to just leave such a weapon behind, Cloud grabbed the hilt and tugged the sword free as Red called to them that he had found the exit and an elixir.

"So, we're headed back to the village now?" Cloud called to Bugenhagen who nodded as he hovered by the exit that Red had indicated.

_**Normal**_

The next morning found me waking next to Reeve after I had apparently followed him into his bedroom and we both blushed a bit when Ruvie had come in to see if he knew where I had gone. Thankfully though we were both completely dressed so she didn't seem to see any scandal in the situation.

Once again I tried to meditate for an answer to Geostigma that day but once again my search was fruitless. Thankfully it didn't last the entire day though and I had plenty of time to search the cabinets and then go to buy the necessary ingredients for Shrimp Creole.

Ruvie had watched me prepare the dish and even helped by chopping some of the vegetables and setting the rice to cook for me before glancing at the peaches I had bought.

"Will those be for dessert tonight?" she asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, peach melba."

"Peach melba?" she asked.

"You sauté the peaches with some brown sugar and serve over vanilla ice cream," I replied. "If anyone doesn't like peaches they can just have the ice cream."

Ruvie smiled faintly then stared at me again. "You're a bit confusing," she admitted after a moment. "I can tell you're a good person though a bit radical."

I shrugged at her comment. "Sometimes you need to be a bit radical."

"As I'm starting to see," she admitted as her smile returned.

Yuffie came bounding in then, more than ready for dinner after a day at the beach with Kunsel. Denzel and Chloe also appeared but had the decency to excuse themselves to wash up and change before dinner.

Reeve and Vincent were the last to appear when the Creole still had a few minutes left to cook, the gun in Reeve's hand a clear indication as to what they had been doing.

"How was your day?" Ruvie asked as she eyed the gun.

"My marksmanship has improved," Reeve told her as he went to put the gun away.

Ruvie glanced at Vincent then at his clearly displayed gun. "You're teaching him then?"

Vincent nodded. "It's just for defense," he reassured her and Ruvie sighed slightly.

Dinner was soon served and the Creole was better than I ever remembered it being, it was difficult to limit myself to just one serving though others, Denzel, Kunsel, and Yuffie for the most part, had multiple servings. Chloe was the one person who didn't seem to care too much for the food and simply shoved the food around in her bowl but she also hadn't had much of an appetite recently.

As Chloe cleaned the dishes I chopped up the peaches and set them in the pan to prepare for making the Peach Melba. She spoke up right as I was preparing to add the sugar.

"I'm sorry," she said from the sink, almost quiet enough that I didn't hear her over the running water. "You're not blame for my husband's death, but I knew that already. He told me when we were on the plate."

"Told you what?" I asked as I began to gently stir the dessert.

"He told me… That it was Shinra who did that to us when the plate lurched right before the pillar was frozen. A portion of a ceiling fell on him and before I was dragged away by some of our neighbors he told me that the company was dropping the sector to get rid of some rebels. I thought he was just saying things then but…" Chloe wasn't able to continue for a moment. "It was just easier to blame AVALANCHE for everything."

"You know the truth so it's probably best you remember it," I told her as I checked the tenderness of the peaches with a spoon.

Chloe didn't say anything further and chose to simply leave the kitchen. She didn't even join the rest of us on the porch for dessert as we watched all the lights of Costa quickly get extinguished as night fell.

"Tomorrow is our last day here," Yuffie sighed as she set down her bowl and we all felt a bit of tension slowly rise.

"Are you going to do something special?" Ruvie asked and we all shrugged.

That night after the dishes were all washed and put away, I once again wandered onto the porch and this time found Reeve waiting for me, Cait Sith sitting on his lap. The little robot jumped up when I appeared and walked back into the house as I walked over and sat next to Reeve. We sat there for hours, star gazing and talking until we both drifted off. I was woken by him at some point in the night so we could go to bed and ended up following him to his room once again.

On our last day in Costa Del Sol, I attempted to ask the Planet one last time about cures for Geostigma but gave up quickly. Minerva still wasn't responding and the Planet seemed more panicked than ever, screaming for the Calamity to be stopped.

It was still morning and seeing no reason to stay in the house, I walked through the town briefly then checked on my airplane before heading back to the villa. Reeve surprised me at the door.

"Would you care to join me for lunch?" he asked and nodded towards the town square.

"Sounds fine to me," I said and we walked together to find a café.

We ate at a small open air café and exchanged small talk. The situation in Midgar was such that Kunsel was actually suggesting using the Budget department personnel to bolster the Peace Keeping troops. I guess those accountants were really getting on his nerves. Kalm was sending what food and water they could as was Junon but it was just barely enough. I admitted that he was probably right in that I would have to wait to find a cure for the Jenova disease until after the immediate threat was dealt with.

The rest of the afternoon involved us walking through the town as we talked about our interests but too quickly it became a planning session of what needed to be done from an engineering point of view once the battle was over. There were alternative forms of energy that needed to be researched and built immediately, new forms of transportation, new batteries to power mobile devices since the current ones all used mako, the list went on and on. We both agreed though that the energy sources needed to be environment friendly.

It was getting late when we headed back to the villa, still discussing the issues behind how effective an airship could be if it were a hybrid as we walked through the door.

"GAH! More engineer mumbo-jumbo!" Yuffie cried as she jumped up from the couch where she had apparently been waiting for us to return. "Well, hurry up! The old lady said we couldn't start until you guys got back!" the mini-ninja exclaimed as she shoved us towards the kitchen.

Ruvie had gone all out on this dinner from what I could see. The table was covered in a number of foods, some of with I didn't recognized, and ranged everywhere from pasta to fruit salad to roast meat. Dessert was a cake she made that was identified as Reeve's favorite dessert, a chocolate cake with strawberries in it.

Everyone talked long into the night that night before turning in and for once I didn't try to hide the fact that I was more comfortable sleeping next to Reeve.

As I dozed that night, Reeve reach over and drew me close then kissed me gently.

"Will you stay?" he whispered and my sleepy brain answered the way it had always wanted to.

"Yes."


	56. Chapter 56

SA: Saria? (pokes catatonic author's head)

Zas: I think she's overloaded…

Saria: CHOCOLATE!

SA: Yeah, I think that's more along the lines of under-loaded on caffeine and chocolate.

Tori: Chocolate chip cookie!

Saria: CHOCOLATE! (tackles Tori)

zzzzzzzzzz

As the sun rose over Costa Del Sol a chorus of birds began their morning song. Joining them this particular morning was a rather strange bird with a very strange call that caused several people to turn and stare before hurrying on their way. What was this particular bird? It was none other than a certain blond pilot.

"Stupid stupid stupid!" I repeated over and over as I resisted the humungous urge to beat my head against a wall. That freaking Minerva must have been counting on something like this from the start! Why else would she have asked for my honesty back then?! She was counting on me making a promise like this that could be used to make me a permanent resident of Gaia! I had made this hair-raising realization while still asleep when I heard the faint laughter of Minerva. She still wasn't answering when I asked about Geostigma but last night I heard her laughter after falling asleep.

The worst part was that I found that I was only mad about this entire situation because I had not made a conscious choice myself. I probably would have decided to stay on Gaia when it came time to make a choice and while I would miss my friends I could honestly say I felt more at home here.

It took a few minutes but I did eventually calm down right as Vincent exited the villa.

"What's wrong?" he demanded as his sharp eyes glanced around.

"Minerva," I responded honestly.

The gunner raised a questioning eyebrow at my response. Guess it would sound crazy to hear someone yelling angrily and for them to declare that a god/goddess was responsible.

"I still can't get an answer about the disease created by Jenova that was mentioned in the videos of Aeris's mother," I explained. It was truthful and guarded my identity.

Vincent raised an eyebrow as he continued to stare at me. "At least you are somewhat truthful," he finally stated before turning around and heading back into the house.

Eyes widening slightly, I followed him into the house and stared as he poured himself a glass of water.

"What is it?" he asked finally after draining the glass.

"What did you mean out there?" I asked as I stared at him hard and had to remind myself of his demons or else I would have tried to peek into his mind to see what he had noticed.

Vincent stared at me levelly for a moment before answering. "You hold a lot back but never lie outright is what I've noticed. You claim to have traveled a lot and know your way around quite well. Several things about you don't add up though."

"Such as?"

"Banora was a farming community, a very rural setting. Though respectable, unless a family was wealthy the education of their children was a simple, farmer's education. You don't speak like a farmer. And it's not just your accent that is wrong."

"I attended college," I shot back in explanation.

"And you probably eradicated the memories and records of you attending, just in case someone started to get an interest in you," Vincent pointed out. "You mannerisms are also wrong for a farmer's daughter. When no one is looking and you aren't being forceful with your actions it is apparent that you were taught how to act like a lady though you didn't care too much for it."

I stared at Vincent then reviewed how I acted when I wasn't being forceful. My posture was certain to give me away; I didn't slouch or cross my legs unless I was mindful of it and my table manners were immaculate. I had my mother to thank for that.

"I won't say anything since it makes no difference to me," the red-eyed man finished as he refilled his water glass and pulled out a second glass which he filled as well and handed to me. I accepted the water only then realizing how dry my mouth had gotten.

Ruvie was up several minutes later and began to fix a modest breakfast which I began to give her a hand with before Reeve also entered the kitchen. He must have remembered my agreement to stay because he was in a very good mood right then.

"Good morning," he greeted the three of us as he entered the kitchen, a smile on his face.

"Good morning dear," Ruvie said as he offered her a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning," I replied and couldn't stop the blush when he kissed my cheek as well.

_**Highwind**_

Cid had been so antsy to get going the night before that he had actually slept on his ship, forgoing his house. He had slept maybe half the night before his nerves forced him awake and unable to think of anything else to do, he had headed for the cockpit. It wasn't surprising to find that several of the crew was already up and ready to go. Shera surprised him by showing up on the bridge soon after take-off.

"Fuck! What're you doin' here?" Cid demanded when he saw her.

Shera offered him one of her soft smiles. "I'm coming with you, just in case."

The blond pilot groaned as he turned his attention back to the controls. "Fine, but your ass stays on the ship."

They arrived in Cosmo Canyon right as the sun was rising and were not surprised to see Tifa, Cloud, and Red all waiting for them as well as Bugenhagen. Each of them offered Shera and Cid a nod as they entered the cockpit.

"Headin' fer Gongaga," Cid told them as the ship took off again, heading south. "So, why'd the geezer want you guys in Cosmo?"

Cloud glanced at Cid before he pulled out a strange looking sword and Tifa showed him a new armlet and pointed at a summon materia.

"He knew where he could find some things that he thought would be helpful for us," Tifa told him as Cloud wrestled the sword back into a make-shift sheath. "The armlet is a good one and the summon materia calls a water monster that Bugen said was called Typhoon."

"We got several other items so we'll see if anyone can make use of them," Cloud told him as Red sat near the bay window.

Cid shrugged then turned his eyes back to the controls. "Be in Gongaga in just over an hour," he told them as he made a slight course adjustment. "So we'll be in Costa right around noon and Midgar this afternoon. North Crater tonight."

"We'll call them while on the ground," Tifa said as she joined Red by the window. "That way they'll know when to expect us."

Cid grunted then glanced around the cockpit. "So where's the geezer? Was sure I saw him get on."

"Grandfather is in the planning room," Red told him as he stood and walked towards the cockpit door.

Things were quiet for the next hour and Cid found that although friendly enough, Cloud wasn't much for conversation. He would answer questions and make the occasional joke but was quiet otherwise.

Tifa talked some but her mood seemed to reflect Cloud's at the moment. They were heading for a very serious fight that could decide the fate of the planet and all who lived here so it seemed a bit natural for jokes and conversation to be tight.

Zack and Aeris were still in the village when they arrived but Tifa called them to say they were there while Cloud called Barret and Kunsel's phones to give them the update on when to expect them.

Zack and Aeris didn't take longer than five minutes to join them, but they weren't alone when they arrived. It seemed almost half of Gongaga had followed them out to the airship, including Zack's parents. The lot of them had called out their farewells and wishes of good luck as the two had boarded the airship, neither actually entering until long after the ship had taken off and the people and village of Zack's youth were far behind them.

"We'll need to visit again soon," Aeris told him when the two finally did turn to the door that led to the interior of the ship.

"Yeah," Zack told her with a grin though even his smile seemed a bit tight at the moment.

The two joined the Bugenhagen for a short while in the meeting room, talking to him and Red before heading towards the cockpit. Bugenhagen took the liberty of informing Zack of the new sword Cloud had acquired and suggested that he use it during the upcoming fight against the Calamity but Zack had refused.

"This Buster sword was handed down to me by Angeal," the dark haired man explained as he indicated the sword. "It represents his honor and dreams as well as mine. And after what that thing has done to Sephiroth I think Angeal would want to also be a part of this fight."

"He left you more than a sword," Bugen pointed out but Zack shook his head.

"This was his most prized possession, he only used it for defending what he thought most important and he'd certainly have used it now."

Bugen raised his eyebrows slightly before laughing. "Ho ho hoo! It has been some time since I was around such a group of youngsters."

_**Normal**_

We had just finished breakfast when Kunsel received the call from Cloud about when they were going to arrive to pick us up and hearing that we only had a few hours sent everyone hustling.

Vincent cleaned his gun and checked his stores of ammunition while Reeve similarly checked and cleaned his though not quite with the expert eye that Vincent had. The dark man checked over the executive's work several times and had to point out some places he had missed but nothing major seemed wrong.

Yuffie, Kunsel, and I all pulled out our various weapons and checked for dents, cracks, or dull edges then as the first two performed maintenance on the weapons, I checked over the materia, determining which were mastered or the highest level and recorded all the offspring materia.

Cait Sith looked over everyone's armor and pointed out pieces that either needed to be fixed or switched out. He had been quick to point out that the Escort Guard that Vincent had found wouldn't suit me since it was too big so Kunsel had volunteered to switch his Mystile for the armlet. Cait's examination indicated that it was a better fit for me so the trade was made.

During all this Denzel had wandered into the room and was gazing around in excitement at the various weapons, armors, and materia that were littered throughout the room. More than once he stood over Yuffie or Kunsel's shoulder and stared at the various blades, even attempting to touch at one point but Kunsel had been quick to warn him away.

The boy wasn't as interested in the materia so I had no problems and there wasn't much danger in the armlets and armors since there were no materia currently equipped in them. It was a relief though when Chloe finally decided to take Denzel to the beach so he wouldn't disturb us.

Ruvie's expression was a bit tight as the six of us finished our tasks and equipped ourselves again though she didn't say anything until we were headed for the door.

"Good luck to all of you and come back safe," she called after us and each of us called back that we would. Reeve took the longest and we waited for him just outside the door as he gave his mother one last kiss before we headed to the airfield.

My plane was still in the field and we loitered around it as we waited for the Highwind to arrive.

"So… This is what you fly?" Yuffie asked curiously as she walked around the plane, tapping at the wings, propellers, and landing gear.

"Yep, this is my bird," I replied as I opened the door and checked inside the plane, insuring that all my equipment was still in place. Cait Sith and Reeve followed me in and we were joined after a moment by Yuffie.

"Very small," Yuffie said after a moment as she threw herself into one of the seats.

"This isn't the sort of plane you grab for living in, this is for going places," I informed her as I turned on the Battery switch to check the instruments. Reeve slid into the co-pilot seat as I did a system check and watched me run through the equipment. I was suddenly very aware of the GPS display and glad that it was dark since I hadn't turned on the Avionics Master.

"That sounds better than the Highwind," Yuffie said and I had to bite back a laugh.

"Actually, the Highwind is a bit smoother of a ride," I told her. "You feel a lot more acceleration in this bird, go a lot higher, a lot faster and then there is taxiing."

Yuffie didn't look quite sure about what I had said but left it alone. By this point I had finished with my inspection so I shut down though I didn't leave my seat. I really missed flying this bird and had been all over the continental United States in it, now it seemed like I would be flying him all over Gaia if everything went smoothly.

"What are you going to do after this?" Reeve asked as his eyes continued to roam over the controls. "I know you had a single person delivery service going on before all of this, so are you considering that?"

I thought for a moment before answering. "I already said I would join Cloud and Zack before all of this began, after flying them to Midgar. Maybe I can convince them to start a delivery company with me. There are any number of things that could happen."

Reeve nodded then glanced out at where Yuffie had just rejoined Kunsel and Vincent. "Perhaps you are right in that I'm not done with Shinra yet, especially if Scarlet has the possibility of taking control if I were to step aside."

"That's a scary thought," I replied at just the thought of Scarlet being in control. It seemed weird to me that she was alive right now when the storyline indicated she was supposed to die, then again I had changed quite a few things so why wouldn't someone suddenly do something different than what they were supposed to? There was such a thing as free will after all.

Reeve nodded at my words. "Things will have to change though, laws and a government, and maybe even an organization to uphold those to insure this sort of situation never happens again."

"One of the most basic rules of whoever has control of a military: they shouldn't have stock in an industry lest they force the issue of their product on everyone."

Cait Sith bounded into my lap right then with a grin. "Are you really going to be livin' with us lassie?" he chirped happily.

I blushed a bit as Reeve took hold of my hand, both of us smiling at the robot.

"HEY YOU TWO!" Yuffie shouted through the open aircraft door. "Quit making out and get out here! The Highwind just arrived!"

At that moment if I had gotten into a contest of what the reddest thing in the world was and the contestants were Reno's hair, Genesis's attire, and my face, I probably would have only lost if Reeve's face were to also be entered.

The six of us boarded the ship quietly and without fanfare though several people from Costa did turn out to watch the airship. I was certain for a moment that I saw Denzel and Chloe in the crowd but I didn't see them a second time if they were there.

Aeris was smiling when the lot of us piled into the cockpit, her eyes shifting over each of us in turn.

"Great to see we almost have a full party gathered!" Zack called out, his trademark grin looked a bit tight. "We just need to pick up Barret and then we'll be heading for the crater."

Kunsel glanced up from where Cloud was showing him a sword, the former Second testing the weight and balance of the blade. "He'll start a riot if we were to leave without him."

Zack snorted slightly as Kunsel nodded slightly towards Cloud.

"Yeah, I could use this," he finally decided as he offered Cloud a tight smile.

"Good to hear. Zack refuses to have any new equipment."

Kunsel snorted this time and rolled his eyes as Yuffie glanced in, her face pale and an ice pack in hand. "What's so funny?" she asked slowly, obviously fighting nausea.

"Zack is insisting on using his old equipment," Kunsel told her and Yuffie crinkled her nose before glancing at the former First.

"Can I have your new materia since you favor the old stuff?"

Her comment drew laughs from everyone, Zack included who also shook his head at the miniature ninja.

"Sorry kid, but I'm rather attached to my materia," he informed her.

I talked to Tifa for a short while as the ship headed towards Midgar then Aeris and I headed back to the planning room where Bugenhagen had installed himself.

There was no more time for practice but we did use the time for planning and both Aeris and I agreed that the best course of action was for her to be the one to extract Sephiroth's soul. My part was to break into Jenova's mind and from there cause as much havoc as I could, hopefully keeping her attention away from Aeris until she had withdrawn. It was simple but should hopefully be effective especially since everyone else would be engaged in physically fighting Jenova.

The afternoon hours slowly crept by and I eventually left Bugenhagen and Aeris's company and found myself sitting with Reeve in the library area where I had given myself the personality test. None of the books proved to be too interesting but Reeve wasn't looking for interesting right then, he was looking for any records he might not know about. Kunsel had joined us in leafing through the books when there was a faint bump, indicating the Highwind had reached Midgar.

Reeve excused himself and pulled out my phone so that he could issue some last minute orders to the troops and check on the status of the various evacuations when a commotion started outside.

Kunsel and I glanced at each other before leaving the room and heading for the deck of the Highwind where the noise seemed to be originating from.

Barret was back on board and he had brought several people with him, one of whom Tifa was loudly fussing over and in turn was fussing over her.

"Rachas!"

I yelped when two of the extra people broke away from Barret and one of them grabbed me. It took a moment to recognize them as Jessie and Wedge.

"You're safe! Last we heard about you was that you got captured by Shinra! Did you really freeze the pillar?" Wedge asked as Jessie hugged me tightly.

"I have a bad track record of being caught," I told Wedge as Jessie finally let me go. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Barret told us what was happening so we decided to come and help! We ran into Zangan on accident while checking equipment in Midgar," Jessie told me as she indicated over her shoulder and I was almost instantly alert to the man.

Zangan was on the tall side, taller than Cloud and Tifa at least. His hair was completely gray and he had a grey beard and moustache. He did actually wear the cape the video game indicated but it seemed to stay firmly against his back. Currently he was digging something out of his pack then withdrew a glove that he handed to Tifa.

"I was going to place this for you to find in Midgar," he told her as he put the glove into her hands. "Then I ran into Jessie and Wedge and they told me about your plans and I knew I had to give this to you in person."

"Are you coming with us?" Tifa asked as she fingered the new glove but the old man shook his head sadly.

"I left a letter for you in Nibelheim telling you I couldn't even jump anymore," he admitted. "My leg was injured by a behemoth, trampled on to the point where it can't be repaired. I came to give you that glove and wish you the best of luck for what is the come."

Zangan glanced around at the entire group then, smiling and nodding at Cloud and Zack who he obviously recognized, and politely nodding to the rest of us.

"You could come to the crater and offer guidance from the airship," Tifa offered but Zangan held up his hand.

"The time eventually comes that the older generation needs to step aside and let the younger find their way. You might fumble a bit but you'll find your way," he assured her with a smile then glanced out at the city. "There are evacuations happening here and I'm helping where I can, it's what I can do and far better than sitting in this ship."

Tifa appeared saddened by his words but didn't argue as he bid her farewell and slowly climbed back to the ground then limped slightly toward the city.

Cid was the first to break the silence and I noticed that he was holding the booklet that Cait Sith had found on the Gelnika. "Well, I say we get this ship rolling."

"Agreed," Cloud told him as he looped an arm over Tifa's shoulder as she removed her old glove, transferred the materia to the new one, and slipped it on.

We had been comfortable before but now we were crowded on the Highwind. There weren't enough rooms for everyone and sharing wasn't a comfortable suggestion. Since AVALANCHE would be fighting on the ground in the North Crater the crew insisted that we all have beds.

No one liked the idea of kicking another out of their bed for the night so eventually a compromise was struck after we had considered the extra rooms we had available that weren't bedrooms. I volunteered to sleep on a couch that night but that was shot down by Vincent, Red, and Reeve. Yuffie also volunteered to sleep somewhere other than her room, pointing out that she had traveled so much before meeting up with us that it wasn't an issue for her.

In the end Jessie and Wedge each got a couch in the library, Reeve was put in Yuffie's room, and Yuffie slept in the unoccupied Chocobo Stable with Kunsel. The rest of us were in our individual rooms, having avoided putting out one of the crew.

Dawn shouldn't have even broken by the time we reached the crater, but it was so far north that the sun was still visible.

AVALANCHE had all gone to bed early so although we were still tired when we glanced down at the ground that "morning", it was the early morning form of tired where you are just beginning to wake up.

One of the crew members offered us all a salute as he deployed a rope ladder over the side of the ship and as we began to climb down, I found myself glancing at our group with rising trepidation. Jessie and Wedge insisted upon coming with us, both armed with guns and intending to cover for us. Reeve was also coming, armed with the gun from the Gelnika as well.

We had all discussed basic strategy before setting out so Jessie and Wedge knew Aeris and I were going to be doing something that would leave us unable to move for a while but didn't know what we intended. They had decided that like Reeve, they would stand as our guards until we were finished.

Tifa and Cait Sith were already outfitted some of the offspring materia that had been created from Aeris and I mastering our Restore, Heal, and Life materia and those materia were already leveled at least once.

"Looks like we can only slide down," Cloud's voice called out from the front of our group and I found that we were standing at the edge of the crater now, the steep incline leading downward that represented the point of no return in the game.

"Let's get the lead out!" Cid shouted as Zack yelled "Let's go!"

My stomach twisted painfully as we descended the slope, each of us trying to keep some semblance of control over our path by grabbing rocks, latching onto others, or using our weapons plant ourselves. Cid, Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel had the easiest time followed by Vincent, Red, and Aeris. Reeve was using Cait Sith to help his descent and Barret was having a miserable time, slipping the most often of us.

"So, you guys are AVALANCHE too?" Yuffie asked Jessie as we continued down.

"Yeah," Jessie called back to her. "We were with everyone in Midgar but got separated when the plate got dropped. Wedge and I chose to guard Elmyra and Marlene when we left Midgar, just in case Shinra tried to pursue them."

"How is Marlene doing?" Tifa asked from lower on the slope.

"Misses you," Wedge called down. "She wants one of the strawberry milks that only you can make. Apparently no one else can make them right."

Tifa laughed as she finally stepped onto what appeared to be a solid ledge, the rest of us spreading onto the ledge, all fifteen of us if you counted Cait Sith as one being.

"Ok, so we're going to be walking in a spiral downwards," Zack observed as he glanced over the edge of the ledge.

Cloud nodded then took point and began to slowly make his way down the ledges, being mindful of his footing. The rest of us followed slowly, being careful for and loose rocks under our feet or over our heads.

At one point I glanced down and was mesmerized by the sight of the depth of the crater. The mako far below us glowed ominously in the half light that was probably not going to get better as the day continued.

Several times we saw what looked to be small gargoyle-like monsters but Vincent and Yuffie took them out quickly if they were over the pit we were circling or by Cloud if they were in front of the group or Kunsel if they were behind us.

The first problem we came upon were several large gaps in the path down. They were too far for some of us to jump and we quickly discovered that we didn't have any rope.

"What now?" Barret demanded as he glanced around for any other possible paths.

Kunsel glanced at me and I knew what he was thinking.

"Those who can make it jump, the rest are going to be levitated," I replied.

Zack grinned and looked tempted to stay then decided to be nice and took Aeris in one arm and jumped the gap with her. Cloud jumped across with Tifa, and they were joined by Red, Vincent, Yuffie, Kunsel, and Cid who used his spear as a vaulting pole.

"Think you can do this?" Reeve asked as I took a deep breath.

"Yeah, should be easy enough," I assured him then focused on him and Cait Sith first, lifting them and pushing them across the gap as quickly as I could. A faint tingle told me Aeris was pulling them across as well. Jessie and Wedge had no clue what was happening and looked to be bordering on panic when they and Barret were lifted and sent to the ledge.

With everyone safely across, I took another deep breath then took a running start before pushing myself with the power, landing a bit messily but safely on the next ledge.

We were lucky to not run into another gap quite like that again but Wedge and Jessie were beyond curious about what had happened.

"So, let me get this straight, you can pick people up and toss them around?" Wedge asked as we continued into the crater.

"Not just people," I told him. "And can't this wait until after we've saved the Planet?"

Wedge huffed slightly, looking a bit down at having his questions not answered.

"We're not seeing too many monsters," Red observed from near the front.

"Good thing too, this ledge isn't wide enough to fight too much," Cloud told him.

Several minutes later we reached the lower areas of the crater and the path widened and almost immediately we were swooped down at by several of the gargoyle monster.

"Gyah!" Barret yelled as one of the gargoyles swiped at his head as he raised his gun arm.

Wedge and Jessie raised their guns as did Vincent and Reeve and they began firing as everyone else drew their weapons. The difference in the quality of the shots was obvious almost automatically. Though Reeve wasn't in Vincent's league, his shots were better than average while Wedge and Jessie seemed to very much be hit-or-miss.

I jumped forward and dragged one of my tantō over the back of one of the gargoyles that managed to evade the hail of ammunition, severing its wings when it got too close to Jessie.

"Man, I wish Biggs were here," I heard her mutter before I brought my second tantō around and drove the blade into the fragile skull of the monster I had just maimed.

The gargoyles proved to just being annoying at that point, no real threat in them but we all knew that there was something much more dangerous further down.

"There are so many paths to choose from," Tifa stated as she glanced at the number of ways that were available to us.

"They all lead to the same place," Vincent told her after a moment as he glanced down the various paths also.

"So there is no need to split up," Kunsel said as he glanced at each path in turn. "Which one is the shortest?"

Vincent glanced at the various paths then shook his head slightly. "Hard to tell."

"Why shouldn't we split up?" Jessie asked.

"Because Jenova can cast illusions and the only one of us who can dispel them is Rachas," Kunsel explained.

"Just how much have we missed?" Wedge asked, his eyes wide.

"A lot," Barret assured them.

"What would "a lot" mean?" Jessie asked as she followed Cloud and Tifa as they chose a path.

"Plane crashes, rockets, food fights, kidnappin', more trouble 'en I ever thought I'd see," Barret told them with a grin.

Jessie stared at him in disbelief while Wedge snorted slightly with laughter. "Can't keep out of trouble, can you?"

Climbing down to the next platforms finally set us on what seemed to be the floor of the crater and we all glanced around nervously.

"Do you sense anything?" Zack asked Aeris who shook her head. Come to think of it though, I hadn't sensed anything yet either.

"The path divides into two," Cid stated and we all saw that he was right. I didn't remember much about this part of the game; just that one path got you more stuff.

"We're not splitting up," Kunsel insisted as he looked down both paths.

Cloud nodded as he followed Kunsel's gaze at both the left and right paths.

If I remembered correctly, going right should take us directly to the final battle but left got us more items. In the game I was all for going left since you could always use more stuff, but unlike the game you could get tired here. We could wear ourselves out before ever reaching Jenova if we went left and all that should be that way were supplies like elixirs and ethers. I had made sure the day before that I had an abundance of those, two for each one of us at least and Kunsel probably had even more.

Reaching out with my senses to make sure I was correct, I felt for malevolent forces that could be down both paths and quickly enough I found her. Just as I suspected she was down the right path but there was something wrong.

"Jenova is down the right path," I told Cloud and he nodded as he stared down the path.

"Then let's go!" Zack declared as he gave Cloud's shoulder a slight push and our party trooped down the path, Kunsel and Vincent taking up guarding our rear.

The path quickly became interesting with us going down what looked like a stalactite that the path spiraled around. The gargoyles made no repeat appearance during our descent but several yellow monsters that looked like eyeballs with wings appeared.

Vincent, Barret, Jessie, Wedge, and Reeve all fired at the monsters while the rest of us either watched for any that might slip past the bullets or fired the occasional spell.

"The bitch ain't got many defenses," Cid declared once we were moving again and Aeris shook her head.

"Jenova is powerful enough that she typically doesn't need them."

"Yeah, she just hijacks someone's body to get her dirty work done," Zack snarled suddenly, surprising everyone in the group.

"Well that's what she does!" Zack defended, not realizing that no one was disagreeing. "She took over Sephiroth's body and now he's just an echo!"

Zack's words sent a cold shiver up my spine as my mind went back to when I had felt for Jenova. Something hadn't felt right back then and now I knew what it was; I hadn't heard Sephiroth's cry for help! Surely he couldn't have been eradicated, could he?!

Think about it, Jenova knows that we're coming to fight her and so would Sephiroth by extension. That would give him hope, something Jenova couldn't allow if she was going to focus on fighting us. She would have to find some way to lock him away, push him back so he couldn't bother her…

"ROAR!"

"Rachas!" Reeve yelled as he dragged me to the side as a horned tail slammed into the ground where I had just been standing. "What's wrong?"

Glancing at the monster that Cloud and Zack were already charging and noting that it was a dragon, I turned my attention back to Reeve. "I can feel the Calamity."

Reeve's eyes widened and he gave me a slight hug as Barret rushed past us, his gun arm blazing.

"I can't hear Sephiroth," I admitted as I pushed away from him slightly.

"What?!" Reeve looked disturbed and I could tell he was hoping that he had misheard due to the dragon roaring behind us.

"I CAN'T HEAR SEPHIROTH!" I yelled right as a well aimed bullet from Vincent ended the dragon's life.

"What!?" Now Zack looked distressed and Vincent's eyes were slightly wide from my declaration. "How is that?"

"She must have buried his consciousness since she knows we're coming and she can't afford any distractions."

Aeris was beside me in a moment. "Will this make saving him difficult?"

"It'll be like practicing with Bugenhagen except we'll be going very far into her mind, back to where people place things they either don't want to think about or to forget."

"Will that be dangerous?" Cloud demanded as he stepped up next to us.

"I- I…" Frantically I searched through all the data I had on going through a person's mind. What Aeris and I planned was already unheard of and there was no further information, not even speculation on the possibilities. "I don't know."

"We should keep going," Cid called out and broke the silence.

"I still intend to try," I whispered to Aeris as we began to move again and she nodded.

As we were crossing a bridge that appeared to be made of bones, she asked a question that was bothering me. "Will our original strategy work?"

It was hard to say, that strategy was built on Sephiroth still being trapped by Jenova. If she had completely cut him off from the outside world wouldn't that mean a shield or capsule of some sort? "We might have to improvise."

Right as Cloud reached the end of the bone bridge a woman wearing a swimsuit seemed to step out from behind one of the ribs and blocked the way. She was pretty but the air surrounding her had a decided chill to it and her eyes revealed her to be a monster.

"The ice bitch's sister!" Cid roared as he vaulted over Cloud and attacked the woman head on, whipping his spear hard across her arm.

The monster sneered at him as she clutched her arm then the air got a lot colder as she breathed out heavily. Cid got caught by the ice attack on his shoulder but angrily swung at her again, his spear cutting her leg this time.

"Do I even want to know why he seems to be taking this fight personally?" Kunsel asked as we all watched the foul mouthed chain smoker as he continued to try to ream the monster even when she tried to cast Fascination on him.

"Not this time!" Cid yelled as he finally stabbed his spear into her middle.

"When we were on the ice fields Cid fell victim to a monster that greatly resembles that one," Tifa advised us as Cid used his bit of leverage to hurl the monster over the side of the bridge.

The other pilot seemed to be in a better mood almost instantly. "Right! After that, feels like I could take out that alien myself!" he cheered as he slung his spear over his shoulder.

The lot of us groaned but allowed him to lead the way down the path and he finally stopped on a ledge that seemed to be right above the mako we had seen from so high up. The only way to continue down was several slick looking stones that were somehow floating, forming a mockery of the staircase in the Ancient City.

Cloud stared down at the staircase also, Zack next to him then they glanced at the rest of us.

"Alright everyone, we all know what we're going to do so let's mosey," Cloud announced which drew a laugh from Zack.

"Seriously, did you just say mosey?" he asked as he reached over to ruffle Cloud's hair only for the blond man to dodge though he did wear a faint smile himself.

"Alright then, let's move out!" Cloud reiterated and now everyone wore a much more serious expression.

The stones that formed the "stairs" to Jenova were not too far apart but everyone did have to jump in order to continue and progress was a bit halting. Reeve, Jessie, and Wedge were all having a very difficult time, gasping loudly from exertion. Aeris and I had been traveling long enough with AVALANCHE to not have such a problem anymore so I made sure to give them a hand when I could.

The descent this time was a fast one that quickly brought us down to what looked like a tiled floor that had been partially ripped apart. Debris was strewn all over and the design made me think of a Grecian temple that had been torn apart and desecrated.

"Where are we?" Cloud murmured as he gazed around, everyone also staring in surprise at the ruin.

A loud hiss sounded then and most of our party jumped in surprise as a strange being seemed to fly towards us.

"Jenova!" Zack shouted then glanced at Aeris and me.

Reaching out I found that this was just a fragment of the beast as well; Aeris and I wouldn't get anything from invading it. "Not the real one!" I called to Zack and he nodded.

This particular portion of Jenova looked like a giant floating meatball with two tentacle-like arms that she used to try to slap Yuffie. The mini ninja dodged back and hurled her shuriken in retaliation.

Let's mince this thing!" Zack yelled as he led the charge once again.

Focusing on the Hell Blizzaga Reeve had given me I cast the spell, aiming for the tentacle that the monster had just sent at Yuffie. The ice that formed had a greenish tint to it and the flesh that it came in contact with turned a slight purple.

Cloud wove around the frozen tentacle towards the main body while Kunsel stopped next to it and swung his sword at the appendage, slicing through a good portion of the icy appendage.

The Jenova piece roared as Zack's sword cut into her side and Cloud's stabbed her other side.

Her second tentacle swept at our group and Aeris cast a strong lightning spell, stunning the thing long enough for Red to latch onto the tentacle, his teeth digging in deep.

Vincent raised his gun then and fired a shot at the monster as Yuffie used Barret's shoulder to launch herself upwards, shuriken in hand. She was followed by Tifa, both women landing on the Jenova monster's head where Tifa promptly delivered a hard punch, causing the entire mass to shudder while Yuffie used her shuriken to slash at the flesh beneath her.

Cid joined the two on top of Jenova moments later with a shout as he launched himself high and came down hard, slamming his spear deep into the flesh. His assault resulted in the piece of Jenova giving a huge jolt and attempting to dislodge those on top. Yuffie jumped clear and easily caught herself on a pedestal while Cid caught Tifa's arm and helped her stay planted as he held on with his spear.

The thrashing of the monster caught everyone by surprise and for a number of us, dodging the remaining tentacle of Jenova was more of an issue of luck. Some of us were less lucky than others.

"Wedge!" Jessie yelled as the hefty man took a heavy blow and fell, his gun skittering across the ground and off the side of the island.

"I got him!" Aeris shouted as she rushed towards the fallen man, her Cure spell already creating a green haze over him.

Barret looked angrier than I had seen him get for quite a while as his eyes took in the collapsed Wedge before turning towards Jenova, where Cloud had just hacked off the second tentacle arm while Tifa continued to knock the creature off balance with hard punches, Cid stabbed again and again using his spear, and Zack and Kunsel were joined by Yuffie as they circled the form, cutting and slashing.

"OUTTA THE WAY!" Barret roared as his gun-arm began to glow as though the metal had just been heated to extreme temperatures.

Several of the combatants glanced over to see what Barret was yelling about and upon seeing him enter a firing position, they scattered. Cloud dragged Zack away while Tifa, Kunsel, Yuffie, and Cid all managed to jump clear on their own.

Catastrophe was an incredible sight; the sheer power of the laser that Barret fired was terrifying. The laser looked to be about as thick across as Barret and he wove it across Jenova's form, the flesh blistering and blackening under the assault.

Zack finished off the beast with one more slash across the area that looked like it might have been the head before Barret's barrage, his disgust with the being apparent.

"Is he going to be okay?" Jessie asked from next to Wedge but I didn't look, instead focusing on the piece of Jenova that now lay before us. It looked to be part of the torso and Cid was poking at it with his spear.

"Step back," I told him coldly as I reached for my Fire materia and blasted the thing with a high level fire spell.

Zack was next to the impromptu burning and looked not at all satisfied by it. "Good riddance," he stated before turning his eyes towards where Wedge was being attended to by Aeris.

"He can't continue," Aeris told Jessie, Wedge still passed out on the ground. "A Phoenix Down isn't going to help because it can't heal a head injury."

"We can't just leave him here!" Jessie insisted and Cloud shook his head.

"We won't," he assured her. "We'll take hi-"

Cloud cut off as a strange sound reached everyone's ears as the island we were on began to shake alarmingly.

"Wh-what?!" Yuffie yelped as she tried to find her balance.

Reeve and Cait Sith noticed the first bits of debris as they separated from the island.

"This place is breaking apart!" Cait yelped as he latched onto Reeve's leg.

Zack tried to reach Aeris but the portion of the floor she was standing on gave way before he could. I was not surprised when he jumped after her with a shout of "Aeris!"

As the ground continued to shake my own heart rate began to pick up and I reached for Reeve's hand, gripping it as the floor began to fall away then everyone was falling towards the heart of the crater. I could just barely make out Zack and Aeris farther down.

Jessie cried out as we fell and I saw her hugging Wedge's form close while Yuffie yelped and Cid shouted profanities.

"The light!" came a shout and we all glanced down at where a pale green light shined brilliantly in the otherwise dark place.

"Is it Holy?" Cloud yelled before we all came to a stop with a rather rough jolt.

Groaning, I glanced around and found that I had landed with Reeve and Cait Sith on a medium sized rock. Zack and Aeris were next to us on a slightly smaller rock while Cloud and Tifa were on the largest rock. Vincent and Red were farthest from us with Cid by them and Barret was between the rocks Zack and Cloud were on. Jessie and Wedge were on the other side of my rock along with Yuffie and Kunsel.

"Ow… Damn man," Barret growled as he climbed to his feet. "Everyone together?"

"Looks like it," Cloud called after he did a quick head count. "Everyone alright?"

Various calls of assent answered him as we all regained our feet and faced what looked to be a lantern-like structure that hovered before us.

"Holy?" Zack asked before a blast seemed to erupt from the structure, lifting everyone off their feet and for a moment I almost thought I heard the echo of Sephiroth's screams. A glance at Aeris confirmed that she had heard something as well.

"Is this… Jenova's power?" Cid demanded as he twisted in air, trying to get free of whatever invisible grip that held him in air.

A form appeared in the light of Holy then, one that most of us recognized instantly.

"Sephiroth!" Zack yelled at the man who turned cold green eyes and for a moment there was a shift, like something tried to break free but was easily pushed back. I was frightened to realize that I couldn't even hear an echo of a scream this time.

"My… my body!" Cid shouted as the pressure holding us all up increased and began to press on us from all sides.

I groaned as the pressure pushed at my chest and on my joints, causing me to shift and curl slightly in on myself in an attempt to defend myself.

"My limbs feel like they're going to tear off!" Red yelled in pain and glancing around I found that everyone was in severe pain. Yuffie looked ready to scream while Kunsel gritted his teeth. Jessie was crying out while Barret seemed to be turning slightly purple. Reeve was sweating, his face contorted in pain.

Aeris's cry of pain finally caused me to lash out, smacking at the frail image of Sephiroth that Jenova had constructed, forcing her to retreat.

The force that held us up remained though the pressure that seemed to be trying to tear us limb from limb dissipated and we all stared at the light of Holy.

"We're going to have to hurry," Aeris called as we all began to float down towards where the final fights would be. "Holy is going to need to mobilize soon!"

"We'll take care of Jenova!" Zack assured her as our feet touched down. "You and Rachas do your thing!"

Kunsel helped Jessie drag Wedge over to where Aeris and I stood, Reeve already beside me. "You guys take care," he said as a scraping could be heard and we all glanced up to see the towering form of Bizarro Sephiroth.

As everyone else headed for the difficult battle they were sure to face, I glanced at Aeris as she stood up after giving Wedge one more examination. She looked scared but resolved, exactly as I felt.

"Ready?" I asked as I sat down next to Wedge.

Aeris glanced up at the monster that almost everyone else was getting into formation to fight. "Not really," she admitted as she sat down next to me.

"We'll watch over you both," Reeve assured her as his hand squeezed my shoulder and Jessie nodded as she glanced between us then turned to gaze at Bizarro.

"We really had no clue what we were jumping into," she stated.

Relaxing as best as I could, I let go of my body and called the power to me as Aeris followed me, both of us preparing to make the first charge and assault.


	57. Chapter 57

Saria: (snoring loudly)

Tori: Well… she has finished her assignment at least.

Zas: Yeah, and has consumed enough chai and chocolate to keep an army awake.

SA: (pokes Tori) I'm hungry.

Tori: Ok, spaghetti anyone?

zzzzzzzzzz

Aeris and I were aware as we departed our bodies and prepared to assault Jenova's mind and as we prepared for this first attempt, we watched Cloud receive a launch from Zack, sending him almost level with the figure that resembled Sephiroth's head on the form.

'Ready,' Aeris's message reached me right as Cloud began to rain meteors on Bizarro.

Focusing on Jenova, I called on the power of the Planet and smashed at Jenova's consciousness and was surprised by a very strong mental shield. Even with her attention caught between defending against Cloud's starting rampage and the mental attack of me she had very strong defenses, but we weren't giving up quick or easy.

Gathering everything I had, I pounded at the shield that guarded her mind as the meteor storm continued and felt the cracks of strain form. That was all Aeris and I needed.

Pushing forward, we both managed to slip through the cracks before she could close her mind again.

_**External Battle**_

Tifa groaned when she saw that unless she were to launch herself from either a ledge or get a helping hand that her ability to fight this monster was very limited. Cloud had received a helping hand from Zack already and Yuffie was surprisingly able when it came to aerial attacks. Even Cid was better at getting high than her!

Using Sense hadn't gotten her much information on this twisted being before her other than it didn't seem to have any one element that it was weak against.

Glancing at her armlet, her eyes caught on the summon materia. Turning her attention back to the monster before her, she barely managed to duck as one of the wing-like arms swept at her. While this happened the humanoid figure at the top of the monster barely seemed to move though the rest of the body seemed to lower itself.

"Hrah!" a cry rang out and she saw Barret get scraped by a mass of dark, destructive energy.

"Everyone watch it, that thing can cast spells!" Kunsel yelled as she rushed towards Barret but had to change directions as another of the wing-like appendages swept at her.

"It's trying to cut us off one by one," Vincent said from next to her and Tifa realized he was right as another spell was sent at Barret as he rained more bullets at the hulking form. The bullets seemed to have little effect though as the beast roared angrily and swept its wings to knock back Cid as a Quake spell was sent at Barret, knocking him off his feet.

Sending her magic into the summon materia, Tifa prayed for an opening to be made so that she could help her old friend.

The air before her began to swirl with visible mist that quickly pressed together and formed a hideous being. Typhoon was an ugly summon, there was no doubting that but the chaos it brought just by forming was a Godsend.

The summon hovered in front of its opponent for a few seconds before breathing out a thick mist that formed a tornado around the gigantic form. Racing to Barret's side, she cast a much needed Cure on him as the summon turned away from Jenova and Tifa felt her mouth drop at the sight of the second face/head of the summon as it breathed out a second time, adding its strength to the first tornado and the winged monster trapped inside seemed to flip at least three times before slamming down on the ground.

More than one person viewed this as their chance and almost the whole of their party rushed towards the downed monster, weapons and fists raining down. Red clamped onto one of the wings and yanked hard, obviously intending to pull it straight as Cait Sith's mog raced up and slammed its fists onto the joint of the wing, hopefully breaking it. Vincent ran his clawed arm along the side of the neck, right where the jugular should be though there wasn't much resultant bleeding. Tifa joined Kunsel as he attacked the human form at the head of Jenova while Cid and Cloud hacked at the second wing. Yuffie and Zack both jumped at the fray right as the monster hit the ground with a Quake spell and threw the rest of them off their feet.

"Damn it!" Zack yelled as he glared up at the form that managed to use its one good wing to haul itself high enough into the air for them to not be able to directly attack.

The monster seemed to gather energy then and directed it towards its own form and the wing that had been broken by the combined efforts of Cait Sith and Red seemed to snap into place, allowing it to be used again.

"It can heal itself!" Kunsel sounded angrier than ever.

Cid finally pulled out a fresh cigarette that he tucked into his mouth as he glared at the form. "Fucker just can't be easy, can it?"

A roar was the response to his declaration as the monstrous form suddenly lurched violently then swooped downwards, wings swept to attack.

"It's going after Aeris and Rachas!" Red shouted as he charged, intent to defend the two women.

Jessie and Reeve had already guessed what Jenova's intent was and opened fire on the diving Calamity though their shots didn't seem to be having much effect. The being kept rushing at them before a particularly violent shudder caused it to skew slightly to the left, missing them by inches.

"It looks to be in pain," Reeve observed.

"It's about to know some real pain!" Cid shouted as he raised his armlet and revealed a glowing materia. "Let's see how that bitch likes dragons!"

Bahamut formed quickly with a roar, its wings spreading wide to catch itself in the air over their heads before launching itself at the monster.

_**Normal**_

If I could I would have sighed in relief. While Jenova was excellent with shields she wasn't too good at catching people already in her mind. And with her attention being drawn to a fight outside she was proving to not be all that effective at kicking me out.

When she had attempted to attack the bodies of Aeris and I in an attempt to force us out I had dug at one of her memories of the stars, tearing at it, forcing her off course.

Currently I would call her mind a terrifying cacophony the likes of which not even Fantasia could hope to hold a candle to in terms of chaos. Her head was filled with darkness and stars, crystals and lights, a violent maelstrom that made no sense and had no rules other than centering on herself. One thing was apparent though; she would give any illusion of anything to get what she wanted and if someone rejected or opposed her still then they were more fun for her to break.

Jenova actually was fond of Sephiroth, fond of the way she could torture him with everything he ever wanted and have him do just about anything for it, giving him a taste and see him squirm for more. She was giving him nothing now though, not since he had come to resist her.

Tearing at yet another memory, hopefully drawing her attention away from Aeris, I wondered how far back Sephiroth was buried. I was staying on the forefront of the Calamity's consciousness so that I would attract more attention but her mind was vast, what if Aeris needed help?

Pushing forward, I delved deeper into Jenova's mind and prayed whatever was waiting wasn't too terrible.

_**External**_

Bahamut tore at the monstrosity that was Jenova with its claws before attacking with its Mega Flare then dissipated. Jenova had been forced to heal itself again in order to continue fighting.

"What's it gonna take?" Cid raged as he stared up at the beastly form that managed to evade the spells that were being cast for the most part.

Beside him Yuffie shrugged as she glanced down at her materia and fingered a summon materia before sending her magic into it.

A fiery eruption shook the ground as a demon of fire answered the summon. Ifrit wasted no time as it charged Jenova, its clawed fingers latching onto the wings as it breathed a trail of flames over the form.

Jenova jerked and seemed to howl before the human form on top of its head leaned forward and a black ball of magic descended upon the fire summon. Ifrit took the blow and fell to the ground, dissipating into a spring of energy as it crashed into the ground, barely missing Vincent and Cid.

Cid glanced back at the still forms of the two main magic users as he wiped a bit of sweat from his eyes. "Damn it, ain't those two done yet?"

"You can't rush this," Vincent told him as he aimed his gun at the slightly worn looking monster.

_**Normal**_

Jenova's mind quickly became quite repugnant as one moved further into the areas in the back. Everywhere you looked you would see faint flashes of memories of the hundreds if not thousands of people she had deceived and killed through the years and not all of them were from Gaia. I saw brief snatches of at least five other worlds that she had attacked, each time following the hunger to become a goddess, to rule over people. She cared little for the shape of the planet or the consequences that would come from her actions.

Decay was what filled the farthest portions of her mind, faces and people that she cared nothing for and chose to forget, and I could feel that this was where she had banished Sephiroth.

"Rachas…" the voice was faint, like someone was talking into my physical ear but still I heard it. "Barrier… couldn't get… ough. You hav… do it." Aeris's message was faint but understandable, Jenova hadn't been satisfied with simply banishing Sephiroth's soul to the refuge heap of her mind, she had placed another barrier to cage him and Aeris couldn't get through.

Pushing back even further, I became increasingly aware of the fact that I was alone as the decay and stagnation began to reach levels that the Gi Caves couldn't compare to. The longer I stayed here the more aware I became of how I was cut off from the Planet and very human.

I found the barrier right as I reached what I thought had to be the edge of this place, easily accessed whenever Jenova decided to torture Sephiroth again.

Gathering what was left of my strength, I searched for some chink that I could exploit, some crack that Jenova had left to insure she wouldn't forget Sephiroth totally. It was small and not easily pried at, but a crack did exist and I threw everything I had left into it, forcing the crack to tear open and slipped through.

_**External**_

Zack sighed in relief when he saw Aeris being helped to her feet by Jessie while beside him Kunsel downed an ether before raising his armlet.

"I think they're done!" he announced as he watched Aeris kneel next to Rachas and say something in her ear before rising and running to join their fight.

"Good to hear!" Kunsel shouted back at him as Bahamut ZERO formed, causing everyone to yell as the dragon's wings brought unbelievable wind as it flapped towards Bizarro.

"Rachas is still in there!" Aeris told them when she got close, her hand forcing her bangs down.

Vincent glanced over at Aeris's news. "What happened?" he demanded over the sound of the powerful dragon summon's roar as it fired its attack.

"There was a barrier I couldn't get through so I withdrew to come help you guys," she called back then glanced up as Jenova's form was thrown to the ground again.

"FINALLY!" Cid shouted as he dashed forward, yanking a stick of dynamite from his jacket and lighting it with his oddly enough still lit cigarette. This stick of dynamite was hurled at one of the wings, mangling it beyond belief as Red latched onto the human portion of the monster.

Cloud and Kunsel both ran forward as well, their swords cutting deeply into the hide of the monster.

Glancing around, Aeris had to admit that Cait Sith and Tifa had done a decent job of keeping everyone in shape but Yuffie had a visible limp and Barret had several open wounds. Rushing forward, she intercepted the ninja first and cast a strong Cure spell that eliminated the limp before heading for Barret who was still raining metal at Jenova's form.

Cait Sith joined the fray then, screeching through his megaphone while the mog punched and slapped at the monster.

Jenova thrashed for a moment before she finally managed to throw off all of the fighters then slowly began to rise again as a shuriken cut across her form and a bullet smashed into the fragile flesh that surrounded her core.

Issuing yet another scream, she glared at the humans that dared to oppose her then let go of her current hideous form.

Zack and Cloud gaped as the form before them shrank and whitened, transforming into something both familiar and alien.

"God, she really is wearing Sephiroth's face now!" Zack yelled angrily as they prepared to face this new monster.

_**Normal**_

Jenova must have built this particular capsule to imprison Sephiroth as well as remind him of his helplessness is what I decided when the area came into focus. I came to this conclusion because it looked and felt like I had stepped into the lab in the basement of the Shinra mansion.

This would seem an ideal prison now that I thought of it; this was where Sephiroth was caged and tortured during his youth and where he learned so many horrible "truths" about himself. If there were any place on Gaia where Sephiroth would feel hopeless and helpless, this was it.

"Hello?" I called as I took a step into the room, eyes glancing left and right, hoping to see Sephiroth's form. "Sephiroth? Are you here?"

There didn't seem to be anyone in this first room though I did glance under the exam table and behind the test tubes. It seemed bizarre to see this room in something that approached order.

Moving to the hall that led to the offices, I decided to keep talking. Hopefully it would put the man at ease or be more willing to trust me.

"I'm called Rachas, I'm a friend of Zack. I'm here to help you," I said as I pushed open door to the first office and glanced in. After checking under the desk and the closet I was back in the hall and heading for the next office. "I heard your screams so Aeris and I decided to try to help you."

A faint squeak at the end of the hall came right as I reached for the second door. Glancing down that way, I didn't see anything but I was certain of the noise.

"Sephiroth? We're trying to help you escape here. I know it sounds impossible, but you need to trust me," I said as I headed towards where the noise had come from.

Around the corner was yet another lab, one we hadn't been able to access when we were here previously due to the rubble. In it were a number of cruel looking devices that I was certain I recognized from some of the photos of the children Hojo had tortured.

"Is this where Hojo tortured you?" I asked. "He's gone now, dead. He can't hurt you ever again."

Another squeak drew my attention to a chair that resembled the electric chair due to the straps on it that were obviously meant for restraining the subjects seated in them. Walking towards the chair, I stopped several feet before it.

"Zack and everyone are waiting for us," I said gently, hoping to get Sephiroth to step out.

A quiet voice that didn't really sound like the fearsome General spoke. "Don't they hate me?"

"No, not anymore. They found out it was all Jenova. Zack was actually happy to know you weren't responsible." My words drew a faint sniffle and a feeling came over me then that something was very wrong.

"But… I did do some of those things. She said she was my mother and a good son does things for their mother."

"A mother doesn't demand her son hurt and murder for her!" I argued, raising my voice slightly. "A mother does everything she can to protect her children and insure their happiness, even to the point of sacrificing herself!" Taking a breath to calm myself, I continued with trying to coax out Sephiroth. "Do you regret what you did?"

A sniffle came followed by a weak "Yes."

"Then I think you should apologize and I'm sure they'll forgive you."

"You think so?" his voice asked after a moment.

"Yeah," I replied. "But we need to hurry if we're going to leave."

There was a bit of shuffling then a hand grabbed the back of the chair as Sephiroth pulled himself up to face me. My eyes widened and I felt my jaw go slack at the sight of the once renowned General. He looked like he was maybe five years old!

"Can… Can we really get out?" Sephiroth asked after a moment, his green eyes holding a shadow of hope.

"Yeah, if I can get in then we can get out," I assured him as I held out my hand for him to take.

"Why should I trust you?"

The question was understandable but I was a bit taken aback by the way it was asked.

"You could be mother trying to trick me again!"

I searched my thoughts then, trying to find some way to convince him that I was authentic and I found myself remembering my grandpa right then and how he had always spoken to me as a child, one phrase in particular that he always said came to mind.

"If it were not for hope, the heart would break."

Large green eyes stared at me in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"It's something my grandpa used to say to me, it means that hope is what keeps us going forward in life and gives us the strength to try again. You've been hoping for someone to help you, have you given up?"

Sephiroth stared at my hand for several long moments before turning his eyes to look me in the eye for a moment then slowly shook his head. "Haven't given up, but… it's so hard…" Tears began to form and I realized the truth behind this form. Though Sephiroth was a grown man, he was in truth a wounded child, forced to grow up far too quickly by a demented man who fancied himself a scientist. A victim in life and in his supposed death to Hojo and then Jenova.

Just two months ago, if faced with a crying child I wouldn't have known what to do but after being with AVALANCHE for so long I had learned. Stepping forward gently, I wrapped my arms around the child before me and hugged him, allowing him to lean against me.

"It'll be alright, I won't let them hurt you ever again," I assured him gently and those words seemed to break the flood as Sephiroth broke into full blown tears, tiny arms clinging to me as I lifted him.

Carefully I carried him up the hallway, past the offices, and into the front laboratory, not even attempting to shush his sobs. Through them I could feel his entire tortured life starting with the labs where he was brutally used by a man who should have been his protector. He had held in his tears for so many years then found someone who seemed to promise everything he longed for only for it to be nothing but a lie.

"Is Jenova not my mother?" Sephiroth asked as we entered the final room.

"No," I replied and the white haired child pushed his head firmly against my chest, his want for comfort obvious.

We were standing before the door to the lab then which I guessed would lead us back out to Jenova's consciousness. I had no idea if she would just let us leave or if I was in for a fight to leave with this child but we would have to be prepared for either.

"We're leaving now," I told Sephiroth gently. "No matter what happens, hold on as tightly as you can. I'll try to be as quick about this as I can. Do you understand?"

Sephiroth's response was to nod then to tighten the grip he had on my form, fingers digging into the projected version of my jacket.

Pushing at the barrier that Jenova had erected to imprison Sephiroth, I quickly found the crack I had used to slip in and pressed the both of us through, reentering the main mindscape.

An alarm seemed to go off the moment that I took off with Sephiroth's soul in arm and whereas my journey in had been relatively smooth sailing the trip out was like sliding down a rocky slope.

Jenova's consciousness tore at us, trying to rip Sephiroth away as I pulled us out of the deepest reaches of her mind. I pulled the soul closer in retaliation and pushed harder than ever, tearing at her offense with more force than I had ever dared to use against Bugenhagen.

Sephiroth seemed to scream when Jenova tried a different tactic. Rather than ripping Sephiroth away she was going to trap both of us and she did this by bringing what appeared to be tentacles into existence to wrap around our forms, trapping us.

I ripped at our confinements angrily, trying to force our way through but made little headway. Sephiroth was pressed firmly into my side by then, his fingers clinging desperately.

"It's me she wants…" he whispered suddenly. "If you let me go then you could get out."

I stared at him, shocked by what he had suggested. Sephiroth really was brave and kind hearted to have gone through all he had been and still be able to say something like that. I did notice though that his fingers tightened on my form slightly, obviously hoping I wouldn't accept his suggestion.

"Not happening," I declared and found new strength in that moment to push forward, breaking several of the tentacles that held us before more materialized, further restraining us.

I felt like crying right then, we were so close to the edge of Jenova's mind but I could no longer move! We were so close!

"Help," I murmured and reached out, hoping for someone or something to hear. "Please Minerva!"

_**External**_

The false Sephiroth had started the fight by casting Wall on itself as AVALANCHE tried to gather themselves and reorganize. Aeris healed Red who had had a slightly bad landing after being thrown off of Jenova's last form.

Cloud grimaced at the sight of the skin that the beast now wore then glanced back at where Reeve and Jessie still stood guard over the slumped form of Rachas while Wedge was starting to regain his feet.

"How much longer is she going to take?" he called to Aeris as he jerked his head towards their friend.

Aeris glanced back with a hint of worry. "I don't know."

"We have something to focus on!" Zack yelled as he charged, his anger at the use of someone he had respected and almost called a friend getting the better of him. He started his attack with a strong Lightning spell before bringing his sword up and across to slash at the much frailer looking being's torso. The Buster sword was partially caught by the wall spell though and what should have cleaved this thing in half only left a shallow cut.

"Damn it!" Zack yelled as he kicked away from the form.

Vincent's sudden roar drew everyone's attention though as the man's cape wrapped around him, signaling a transformation.

The new form of Jenova noticed too and waved an arm towards the former Turk, sending a dark wave of energy at the man.

"Vincent!" Tifa yelled as the energy swarmed towards the red hazed figure before it exploded as a red figure shot upwards.

Vincent's new form caused those in AVALANCHE who had not already seen it to experience jaw drops as the now winged man launched a burst attack at Jenova.

"Can't let the man have all the fight!" Barret shouted as he raised his gun-arm and fired a new salvo of bullets at their opponent.

Kunsel shouted as he also launched his own attack in the form of a high level Demi spell that crackled over the wing that now served as the right arm to this monster.

Red ran under the monster and snapped at one of the wings, obviously hoping to bring the flapping monster to the ground. He was joined by Tifa and oddly enough Cid, both aiming for one of the wings.

Cloud jumped back slightly, avoiding a blow aimed at him by the Jenova monster then retaliated by striking at the wing before it could be retracted.

"Cloud," a tug at his pants drew his attention to Cait Sith. "Is it just me or does Vincent seem to be actin' more peculiar than usual?"

Cloud glanced up at his transformed friend, not quite understanding what he meant. In the past Vincent had transformed several times and each time he attacked their opponent, almost completely forgetting about the rest of them. Now though the man seemed to be fighting for control, hearing something they couldn't and taking aim.

Red finally caught one of the wings then and dragged it down and straight as Tifa punched the joint, breaking it. Cid also managed to open a long wound in another using his spear and the figure that resembled Sephiroth began to sink to the ground.

Kunsel and Zack shouted as they attacked the torso again, the wall spell deflecting most of the damage as Yuffie threw a fire spell that was similarly dampened.

A roar caused all of them to glance up and were surprised to see Vincent in his new transformation diving headlong at their opponent, clawed hand raised to strike.

Zack stared as his friend came down on the alien who raised its head to meet Vincent's eyes right as the man's claws smashed through the Wall spell and sank into the head of the monster.

Various noises of surprise could be heard when instead of blood, a bright light erupted from the wound that Vincent's claws still extended into.

_**Normal**_

Sephiroth was in tears again and I was about to join him. No matter how hard I struggled I couldn't get free and the power of the Planet couldn't reach me now. I was a normal human trying to break free of a very powerful alien.

"Minerva!" I screamed again and prayed the Goddess would do something.

It felt like the tentacles laughed then at my call and slowly began to wrap around my reaching arm to restrain it.

The coils were interrupted by a sudden bright light that appeared and a clawed hand appeared, grabbing my struggling arm. I didn't recognize it at first then noticed the golden color of the claw and wrapped my fingers around the arm as my other arm held tightly to Sephiroth.

The power of the Planet flowed into the wound created by Vincent and I used it to break the coils of darkness that tried to trap Sephiroth and me as Vincent drew us out and back to the world.

Moments later we were free and passing by Vincent/Chaos as I headed for my body, drawing Sephiroth's soul with me. I pulled him in to protect him as I settled into my body and finally opened my eyes and smiled.

"Got him," I murmured, drawing Reeve's attention.

"Do you need rest or an ether?" Reeve asked as his hand reached down to assist me in regaining my feet.

I had a wicked headache right then so I accepted an ether and a potion before turning to where the battle was and felt my jaw drop.

Losing Sephiroth's soul must have triggered yet another transformation for Jenova because she now was in a form I had never seen before. She looked a lot like Safer Sephiroth actually except she no longer sported his face and her skin was blue. Wicked eyes blinked angrily up at Vincent who still was in his Chaos form.

Grabbing my hilt, I raced to join the rest of AVALANCHE and surprised most of my friends with my appearance.

"You get him?" Zack asked when he saw me and I nodded which drew a grin from the man. "Great!"

Within me Sephiroth shifted and I could feel his joy at knowing that at least Zack was happy that he was free of Jenova.

"Then let's finish this bitch!" Cid yelled and I realized then that almost everyone had glowing eyes, a sure sign I had learned that they were sitting on Limit Breaks.

Tifa launched forward and performed her typical kick flip then followed that up with a waterkick, an uppercut that threw Jenova higher into the air before Tifa appeared and knocked her to the ground then came plowing down onto her back, fist first.

Red attacked next, his howl causing a strange surge of magic that coalesced into what appeared to be an atom made of stars that then fired a fiery beam at the monster.

Yuffie, Kunsel, and Cait Sith were next as Cait Sith summoned the Knights of the Round. Yuffie and Kunsel wove around the knights, littering Jenova with painful looking cuts.

Cid and I attacked next, him slashing eight times with his spear while I called on the power to send lightning down my verdant blade as I slashed Jenova's wing off at the shoulder.

Aeris and Zack were next, a seal appearing around Zack that I recognized as part of the Limit Break Apocalypse while Aeris summoned Phoenix. The great bird of fire and life didn't seem to mind Apocalypse at all as it sailed through the bouncing red energy and cast her cleansing flames over Jenova.

The witch was on the ground at this point, staring at us hatefully as Cloud's eyes glowed brightly. Her mental scream hit me as he launched his attack.

'GIVE ME MY SON!' the disembodied voice howled and internally I hugged Sephiroth as he shock at the sound of her voice.

'It's ok,' I thought as Cloud's first blow landed. 'It's all over now.'

The Omnislash was not the flashiest of Limit Breaks but none of us could look away until after Cloud had landed the final blow. A slight thump on the ground next to me signaled Vincent had just set down and I turned to face him. Even through the transformation I could feel the question in his eyes and I nodded slightly.

"I got him."

Vincent sighed as the transformation ended and his cloak began to appear again as the features of Chaos began to melt away.

"We need to leave!" Aeris's voice declared. "Holy is about to move!"

"Then let's get going!" Zack shouted as he grabbed Aeris's hand and headed for the floating stone stairs. Kunsel stopped to assist Wedge and Jessie was aided by Cloud as we all rushed up the stairs, my exhausted mind barely allowing me to assist Reeve on some of the longer jumps. It only took a few minutes for all of us to reach the ledges that came before the stairs then we had to stop due to a cave-in.

"What now?!" Barret demanded as he stared at the rocks that blocked our way.

Red scraped at the rocks with a paw, obviously trying to make an opening and Wedge joined him in trying to move the rocks.

"Lady Luck, don't fail me now!" Cid prayed aloud and I almost laughed when his jaw dropped and his cigarette fell to the ground.

Everyone turned their eyes upwards then as scraping was heard and got the shock of their lives to see the Highwind was making its way into the crater.

It stopped several feet above our heads and everyone, myself included, stared gobsmacked at the sight.

"HA! Can an airplane do that?!" Cid yelled at me after a moment. "Airships truly are the greatest!"

A cry reached our ears a moment later, right as a rope was thrown over by one of the crew and we all turned to see Jessie standing next to a pile of rubble.

"Wedge! He got caught under the rubble!" she screamed as a pool of blood began to form under the rocks.

Barret's eyes went wide as he raced over to the rock and attempted to dislodge it but found it wouldn't budge. "Wedge? WEDGE!"

A quick scan told me that Wedge was already gone and I stepped up to Barret and gently shook my head. Barret's fist clenched tightly before his fist pounded against the rock. Jessie was the most difficult to get onto the ship but we were all piled in soon and the Highwind put in full power in reverse to try to extract the ship from the crater.

"Ho ho hoo!" a voice called as we entered the bridge. "I see you were successful!" Bugenhagen smiled at our group though his eyes did darken slightly to see we were missing one person.

"No time geezer!" Cid shouted and below us we heard a sound that was much like the roar of water over a waterfall. Cid grabbed the intercom and shouted, "All you ladies better be prepared for things to get rough!"

Grabbing Reeve's arm, I stationed us by the railing on the bridge right as the ship gave a mighty lurch as the Lifestream began to rush upwards. Everyone grabbed onto something then as the ship tumbled, throwing everything not nailed down for a wild ride as the ship was thrown upwards at least several thousand feet then began a slow fall to the ground, tumbling.

Metallic screeches and red lights joined alarms, alerting everyone to the fact that the ship was being torn apart.

I screamed myself as I was jerked in the air, my hands barely keeping their hold on the railing as beside me Reeve also shouted. I barely saw Cid dragging himself slowly toward the emergency panel to pull the lever, but I felt it as our fall began to slow then abruptly stopped.

As soon as I had my breath back after slamming into the ground, I stared out one of the side windows and grinned broadly at what I saw.

"AIRPLANE!" I shouted at Cid with a grin and he groaned loudly.

"Maybe I should have just let us crash so I could die with some dignity!" he declared as he shoved a new cigarette into his mouth then turned to the controls and instructed Ran to set course for Midgar.

Reeve's hand caught mine as we walked to the main window along with the others and stared at what was happening to the far south.

The first burst of the Lifestream had already swept over Midgar, creating a cover for the city but Meteor was already pressing on it, forcing its way through.

"What's going to happen to Midgar?" Barret demanded when he saw the way Meteor seemed to be breaching the screen. "Can't we do anything?"

Reeve looked saddened by the sight. "The evacuation into the slums was ordered but… I don't think even the plate…" His voice shook slightly as Cait Sith moved to stand on his other side.

"Too late," Red said as he gazed out the window from beside Cloud.

"Not yet!" I declared as a humming reached my ears from the Planet and beside me Aeris twitched as she seemed to hear the noise as well.

"It's coming," she said as her hand grasped Zack's.

Red gave us a doubtful look before turning back to the window. "It looks like Holy is having the opposite effect."

"This isn't Holy, not yet," I told him as the voices of the Planet rose; this times millions strong, all reciting the prayer for Holy.

Tifa saw it first as everyone continued to stare at the city, transfixed. "What's that?" she asked, indicating a small point of green light that was just beginning to shine.

"Ho ho hoo! That my dear would be Holy," Bugen told her as he floated over and instantly all eyes were fixated on that point. Yuffie shouted when she saw the next one, Zack seeing the one after that, and then the sky was alive with the Lifestream as it arced towards Midgar.

"Sugoi…" Yuffie murmured as the rivers of life converged onto the piece of space rock and a brilliant light blinded us for a good minute. When the light finally faded and we could see again, Meteor was gone and the Lifestream was receding.

"So… What now?" Cid asked as we stared to the south and Vincent surprised us by stepping forward.

"I have a request if you don't mind."

The next five hours were both painful and joyful. Jenova was gone, Meteor destroyed, and the planet was safe. Now though it was also time to give grief its due.

There hadn't been the time to mourn the death of Biggs when it had happened and with the death of Wedge those of us who had known them felt it was long past due. A small, simple service was held in the meeting room to commemorate them where Barret and Tifa remembered quite a few events and quirks about the two, Jessie throwing in the most recent happenings about Wedge's adventures since leaving Midgar.

"Marlene is going to be so sad," Jessie finally finished and at that moment I noticed the small ring she wore on her left ring finger.

After the service none of us were surprised to find that the cook had pulled out the stops in the kitchen and was serving a celebratory feast. The food wasn't fantastic but it was plentiful, what drove me out though was the abundance of alcohol. Seeing Cid drunk to the point where he was dancing on a table top was a moment I seriously wished I had a camera for but seeing Barret join him had killed that notion.

Usually I wandered up to the deck at times like this but this time I found myself heading down towards the library, desperately wanting some quiet right then. I had just sat down after glancing through the book titles and picking something that was mildly interesting when the door opened and Reeve entered. He seemed just as surprised to see me as I was him.

"Needed a moment?" he asked as he sat down on the couch opposite of me and I nodded. He smiled knowingly before choosing a book himself and we remained there for the two hours it took to reach our destination, Vincent personally coming to get us upon our arrival.

Sephiroth must have been sleeping but he seemed to wake up as my feet touched the ground again, his interest being the beautiful lake. His trepidation rose a bit, as did his suspicion, when he saw we were heading into a cave along with Zack, Cloud, Tifa, Aeris, Kunsel, Reeve, and Vincent.

'It'll be ok,' I promised as we entered the chamber of Lucrecia and Vincent headed towards the podium where her crystal was situated.

Vincent was silent for a moment then silently bowed his head. "We… We did as I promised, Lucrecia. Jenova is gone and Sephiroth is free."

The light in the chamber seemed to shift a bit and then Lucrecia's ghostly form appeared before Vincent, a sad smile on her face. Beside me I heard Zack gasp and Cloud tensed.

"Ms. Crescent," I said suddenly as I stepped forward. "Would you like to hold your son?"

Lucrecia's eyes turned to me and her eyes watered slightly as she nodded and I focused on Sephiroth's soul, slowly drawing him out and into the space before me.

Sephiroth latched onto me the moment his ghost had a form, once again the child form, and he stared at Lucrecia suspiciously.

"It's alright, that's your mother," I told him gently as I nodded towards Lucrecia.

Sephiroth blinked at her but didn't let go of me until I nudged him slightly towards her. In turn Lucrecia held out her hand to her son who took it after a long hesitation. She drew him into a hug then before both glanced back at our party and Sephiroth stepped away from her towards Zack and Cloud.

"I- I'm sorry," he said as he bowed his head slightly to them. "Sorry for everything."

Zack responded first to his once friend. "Always knew it couldn't be you, so I never blamed you."

Cloud though was a bit more hesitant in his response. "I… I guess I can understand… It wasn't your fault," he finally said.

Tifa didn't say anything but you could tell in her eyes that she forgave him.

"Don't be afraid," Aeris called after him as he turned and accepted Lucrecia's hand again. "We'll see you again in your next life."

Sephiroth glanced back and offered a small smile that made my heart ache before he and Lucrecia disappeared.

As we headed back to the Highwind Reeve gently wrapped an arm around my shoulders. He must have known that I was upset.

"You freed him," he whispered and I nodded.

"He still deserved more."

Two hours later we landed in Costa Del Sol and Reeve disembarked with me to act as company while I ferried my plane back to the ruin of Midgar. We briefly stopped by the villa to assure his mother that we were fine before heading out and I could already see the beginnings of our next crisis. Several people were sporting black rashes already so Geostigma was about to make its debut.

Due to the sheer destruction surrounding Midgar I wasn't able to land there so we went ahead to Kalm instead. We caught a ride with some of the troops that were delivering evacuees from Midgar that were headed back to the once great city.

AVALANCHE was already in the city and helping the survivors when we arrived. I joined them while Reeve was almost instantly mobbed by troops making reports, finance department representatives, and various executives that suddenly felt they didn't have work anymore.

Before the day was out there were troopers and engineers alike that were aiding us in tearing apart building, aiding survivors and directing them to the areas that were just to the outside of the third and fourth sector plates, where Reeve had observed monster populations to be a lot less. They were also collecting building materials so they could begin building some form of shelter.

AVALANCHE gathered again on the Highwind that night since there was nowhere else to stay that night. All of us were tired and realizing that there was a LOT of work ahead of us.

"Excuse me!" Zack called as he stood from our table in the galley. "We've all had a very long journey. We've lost some people, met each other, gotten to know each other, and become heroes if I do say so myself. We've had a very long day today and I know there are a lot more to come."

"We all know that!" Kunsel called up to him.

"Well I'm about to make this day longer!" Zack told him with a grin.

"NOO!" Yuffie declared with an exaggerated cry.

"I would like to announce that Aeris and I are going to get married!"

There was silence for a moment before cheers erupted around the room. Even Reeve joined the loud shouts of congratulations while I joined Tifa, Jessie, and Yuffie in demanding details from Aeris. I found out through this conversation that rings were typical of marriage on Gaia and sometimes used for an engagement. What was more typical of the engagement was a bracelet.

They hadn't set a date yet but we were all going to be invited to the wedding, wherever they decided that would be.

The next week was a strange one just because we seemed to actually have a schedule now. For the first three days we searched for survivors then for the next four we tore building apart, dragging building materials to the new settlement where rough buildings were already starting to pop up.

It was during this time that every chance I got I meditated and tried to find the cure for Geostigma. Aeris joined me as well when she noticed that the rashes were becoming an epidemic and people started to murmur about it being a disease that served as the revenge of the Planet for the mako reactors.

The mako reactors were shut down the first day after Meteor so currently there was no power and people were a bit disheartened though their work did help distract them.

Cid left at the end of that week, Vincent not far behind him much to Yuffie's protests. None of us could blame them though, Cid had a hometown where he was needed and his ship was going to run out of power soon. Vincent on the other hand had some things he needed to come to terms with and needed the time and space to do it.

Not once did Sephiroth or my former life leave my mind that week, even when I spoke to the Planet about Geostigma and when the food situation in Midgar became critical two days after Cid left, I volunteered to see what I could turn up and promised to be back as soon as I could.

Catching a ride to Kalm wasn't going to happen this time since all vehicles were being dedicated to building and they didn't have the resources available to transport one person to Kalm.

Reeve tried to convince me to take Cait Sith with me but I assured him I would be fine on my own.

The walk to Kalm was a nostalgic experience even though I was walking with a group of people I had never met before. Once there no one bothered me as I dug up the "grave" of Vincent Kaze and took the lock box that held all of my things. I shoved it into my pack before heading to my plane and was surprised to find it had been filled with fuel automatically.

The flight to Banora was a silent and lonely one for me, each time I turned my head I saw something or another that reminded me of the others and our adventures.

I landed in the same field I had used before when I had initially come to save Zack and I was surprised to find that the apple trees surrounding my plane were all heavy with fruit. A quick taste of one as I headed for the former village indicated that in a few days they would be ripe.

The underground was surprisingly empty of monsters and the Goddess doors were already open when I entered the room so she obviously knew I was coming. This time I didn't hesitate as I walked into the light.

"_You came back,"_ Minerva's voice reached my ears.

"And you've been silent for the last couple of days, right when we have really needed your guidance," I replied then cut straight to the chase. "I want to make a deal, for me and Sephiroth."

Minerva narrowed her eyes slightly at me then. _"Calamity's son cannot be allowed to return."_

"He's human!" I argued. "The Calamity's son was the being she created that wore his face. You know the real Sephiroth better!"

"_He is still tainted by her cells,"_ Minerva replied. _"I need to rid the Planet of her completely and once that is achieved there won't be enough of him left to live."_

"His soul doesn't contain those cells!"

"_His body did and he can't live without that unless the missing pieces were to be filled in by another."_

I shook slightly as I thought of what she had said. "Could you use my cells?"

Minerva seemed to have expected my question. _"Will you take responsibility of him? Help him through this life?"_

"Yes," I replied. How difficult could helping a grown man in a peaceful world be? AVALANCHE would also be there to help him regain his feet.

"_Very well then,"_ Minerva said as her hand gently reached out and touched my torso for a moment. _"As for you, I already know what you want."_

Before I could ask if she would allow it, a rush that felt like water flowed around my legs and I saw dark water rapidly rising around me even as the beautiful image of Minerva faded.

Yelping, I swam to the side of the room and attempted to push myself out through the door only to discover it was shut. Angrily, I shoved and kicked at it before glancing up, hoping to see a shaft or tunnel.

A yank on my leg dragged me under the surface of the water and a feeling of severe disorientation rushed through me before the grip on my leg disappeared and I kicked for the surface, surprised by how quickly the water level had risen.

As my head broke the surface I was surprised to see a vast stormy sky overhead as a wave crashed over my head.

"HELLO!" A voice shouted when I regained the surface and I turned my head to see a boat nearby. A man on deck had a life ring in hand and he threw it to me.

Latching onto the ring, I swam towards the boat in the violent ocean and the man was aided by another in dragging me onto the boat.

"Where am I?" I asked as soon as I was on the deck.

"About twenty miles of the coast of Florida. You're a citizen, right?" the man asked and I noted that he wore a Coast Guard uniform.

"Yeah, my name's Ra- Christine," I corrected myself as I was helped to the cabin.

One of the men took over the helm as the other checked my passport after I liberated it from my lock box then radioed in my information. The response must have startled him because he turned back to stare at me wide eyed.

"Man, out here after being missing for three months. What are the odds?"

I shrugged as I began to shiver despite the blanket the man had given me. I was handed some spare clothes then by one of the men and directed to a restroom.

Several things I noticed were missing right away were my materia and tantō. Also missing was my saber hilt and Gaia charts. In my pocket though I found a note, one in the hand writing that had been on a note I had received months ago.

_One week._


	58. Chapter 58

Tori: We're out of chocolate.

Saria: NOOOO-

Zas: (covers ears) Oh great. Here we go again.

Saria: OOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Tori: What was her previous record for screaming like this?

SA: Two minutes, twenty-four seconds.

Saria: OOOOOOOOOOOO-

Zas: Think she's going for a new record?

zzzzzzzzzz

The meaning of Minerva's note was obvious: I had one week to address all of my affairs and tie up loss ends on Earth before I would be brought back to Gaia. One week to see my friends and family and make sure everything was properly taken care of.

This was all easier said than done. The Coast Guard men, John and Damien, got me back to shore and after insuring that I was no illegal, I was handed over to the police. I had been missing for three months, no one knew why, and had turned up in the Atlantic Ocean.

I admitted to not knowing what country I had been in aside from knowing that it wasn't the US and that was truthful. I had no idea if Gaia even did segregate themselves beyond towns and continents. The police told me what they thought happened after I admitted that I didn't know how I ended up in the ocean other than I was trying to get back.

The theory of the police was that I had been knocked out during a hijacking while on approach to Atlanta and the hijackers had turned off the transponder. After that was just me being lucky enough to be helped by a group of sympathetic people who assisted in getting me back to the states but the boat sank and the trauma of so many months had caused me to lose my memory temporarily. What cemented in their minds the notion that I was innocent of just making myself vanish were the new scars and bruises I sported as well as the calluses on my hands.

Several things I was told was that during my absence my company had gone out of business. My insurance company had paid for the plane after my disappearance with the agreement if it were recovered in working condition they would get their money back. Since it had obviously been "stolen" from me, I wasn't held accountable.

People from the NTSB also came and asked about what had happened. They were disturbed to hear I had loaded the plane myself and felt certain that there should have been no one except me on the plane.

In total the interviews with the various law enforcement agencies lasted three days. I was put up in the station during that time and on the last day I was finally allowed to use the phone. The police had already contacted my family and I wish I could say I was surprised that none of them came. Instead I called Nick and Jen, two friends of mine who I rented my grandpa's house to.

A true testament of what family really is could be described in this situation. I was in Miami, my parents and siblings were in Tampa and Orlando and they couldn't be bothered to come see me. My friends on the other hand dropped everything they were doing when my call came and drove all the way from Mobile to pick me up, a twelve hour drive easily.

Uncertain of what to do until they got here, I was escorted by an officer to a local branch of my bank so I could catch up on what was happening with my finances and found myself simultaneously shocked and angered. My parents had tried to seize my assets after I had been declared missing for one month. The bank had blocked them so my accounts were all in order but a lawsuit was being filed against them.

"Of course, since you are here now, obviously alive and well, that item should be dropped promptly," the manager informed me as he handed me a file with copies of my assets. "I suggest that you get a Will in place, just in case."

"Thanks," I replied as I accepted the folder then rejoined my escort in the lobby.

My stomach grumbling on the way back to the station drew a laugh from the man. "Want something to eat?"

I nodded after a moment as my eyes scanned up and down the street.

"Ok, we got a pizza place up there, chicken, a grocery store," he nodded at the various places.

"Publix if you don't mind," I said after a moment and he easily pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store.

It felt surreal to be in a grocery store after so long, even though I was being followed by an officer. All around me were foods and drinks that I had loved what seemed like a lifetime ago and my head kept turning left and right, unable to choose what it was I wanted. I would grab a Barq's root beer only to realize that I also wanted cream soda and then I was tearing the shelves apart looking for Jones green apple soda.

The officer actually was laughing when I found the cookie aisle and tried to decide which type of Milano I wanted then saw the Lindt chocolate truffles and started weighing and comparing them.

The hardest decision proved to be trying to choose what I wanted for my main dinner item. There were empanadas, wings, fried chicken, sandwiches, and several other things at the hot bar. Realizing that I would once again be staying in the station until my friends showed up, I selected wings and empanadas and tossed them into the over-filled basket I had grabbed upon entering the store.

There was one important thing I had forgotten though about the food on Gaia versus the food on Earth and I remembered it as I took my first bite of an empanada while in route back to the station: I had gotten used to food on Gaia.

The empanada didn't have the flavor I remembered they should, in fact it seemed to lack flavor all together! Choking slightly, I grabbed one of the sodas I had purchased and took a sip only to crinkle my nose against the flavor of that as well. The food I had received thus far in the station I had dismissed as just being the typical industrial slop, but this was unthinkable! A cream soda was making me gag!

Shoving the empanada back into the bag, I grabbed a wing instead and tried eating that only the resist the urge to spit. The cookies and chocolate all had the same tastelessness to them that made me feel as though I had shoved sand into my mouth that had the consistency for the food and drink I was trying to consume.

"Heh, been a while since you got to enjoy stuff like that, huh?" The officer grinned as he pulled into the station, not realizing that the reason I was switching foods the way I was wasn't because I was trying to eat everything but rather trying to find something that wasn't so disappointing.

"Yeah, been a while," I replied as I swallowed what had to be the worst tasting chocolate I had ever had, practically in tears due to the fact I had always loved Lindt and Milanos. Having them suddenly rendered into a distasteful experience was heartbreaking.

Once we were back at the station I looked around for a computer I could use then decided that seeing someone who had just been kidnapped looking up a video game would be very weird behavior. Remembering what the banker had said about a will though did get me to ask about making a phone call.

One of the detectives allowed me to use his phone and this time I called my uncle who was a lawyer. He was also one of the few members of my family that still spoke to me. The phone rang four times before it was answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Uncle Char," I said, not quite sure what else to say.

"Chris?!" the man declared and over the line I swore I could hear my aunt yell something. "Where are you? Is there a ransom? Do you need money? Help?"

"I- I'm in Miami," I replied as I bit my lip to keep from crying. "I was found by the Coast Guard in the water."

"Are you hurt?" Uncle Char demanded. "Do you know the names or faces of the people that took you?"

"No," I lied uncomfortably. "I- I don't remember anything about how I got there. I just woke up in the water and the Guard boat was there."

"Do you need us to come get you?" Now my aunt's voice was on the line so I guessed she had picked up a separate receiver.

"No, Nick and Jen are coming for me."

"We'll be on the first flight to Mobile then," my uncle said firmly. "Lots of things have happened since you… disappeared. Your parents tried to have you declared legally dead."

"I was made aware by the bank. They also suggested I make a Will."

Uncle Char sighed heavily. "What a world…"

"How long have you been back?" my aunt asked.

"Three days," I replied and I could hear her curse in the background which was a first. My aunt was a lady and I had never heard a foul word come from her mouth.

"Why the hell didn't they tell us?!" she finally demanded over the line.

"That's a question to ask my parents."

We talked for a few minutes longer before the detective came back and signaled that my time was up and we said our goodbyes. After that, since I wasn't obligated to stay inside the station I walked out into the evening air and sat on a nearby bench. Never before had I felt so empty and alone. The planet was silent, the air reeked, and my food didn't appeal in any way. Not even the light rain that eventually began to fall was able to lift my spirits right then.

_**Gaia**_

Cloud and Zack had just brought in the last steel beam for the day, a task that usually took five men. The building that it would be used for mostly had the skeleton frame for the second story built; they just needed a few more supports.

The as-of-yet unnamed town that was being built along the south-east edge of Midgar was slowly taking shape and at the insistence of Reeve and his engineers, the buildings were being built with the intent of eventually having running water and power.

Aeris had been approached by Reeve to try to start a program that would be separate from Shinra, an agricultural one that would hopefully help alleviate the food crisis they were currently facing.

Tifa was helping with the construction crews currently as were Barret and Kunsel.

Jessie had joined Reeve's team of engineers and had already transferred over to Junon to help in the construction of a dam to provide power to the city. She declared that Midgar now had too many memories for her to stay.

Yuffie had gone to visit her homeland since she hadn't been able to before Meteor Fall and called them regularly. Apparently the strange disease was starting to appear in Wutai as well and the people were suspicious.

Cid called every so often also, reporting that Rocket Town was struggling also without power and that signs of the disease were present also.

No one knew where Vincent or Rachas were and neither had phones though everyone felt certain they would return, Rachas sooner rather than later.

Bugenhagen and Red/Nanaki had departed for Cosmo Canyon after leaving several designs for wind generators for Reeve.

Reeve was being kept very busy currently. Since Shinra had the controlling power and the chief engineering force on the planet he was continuously bombarded by requests from towns for support and aid. He was also the recipient of much criticism due to Shinra's accusations of people who were later not only declared innocent, but heroes of the planet.

"How long do you think it'll take for things to become normal?" Cloud asked his friend as they walked towards the tents that AVALANCHE now shared since the Highwind was gone.

Zack glanced around them, eyes lingering on the crumbling form of Midgar's plate. "I don't think they ever will be "normal" ever again. But I think we can make something good out of this."

"Optimist," Cloud accused him light-heartedly as their campsite came into view.

"You know it!" Zack replied with a grin before he bounced over to where Aeris was setting up a pot that she was probably intending to cook their dinner in. Tifa was approaching with an armful of wood and flammable material that had probably been salvaged from Midgar's ruins. Neither Barret nor Reeve were in sight.

"There's my beautiful bride!" Zack yelled as he raced over to where Aeris welcomed him warmly with a hug and kiss. "Any calls today?"

"Yuffie and Cid, no word yet from Vincent or Rachas," she replied as she turned her attention to their ration of vegetables that she would use for dinner that night.

"Man, Reeve's gotta be worried," Cloud said as he approached and took the fire material from Tifa. "How is he doing?"

"He said he won't be joining us tonight so he could help organize some of the research teams that will be heading to Junon. They're going to be trying to refine some of the designs that were shelved by Shinra for Solar Power," Tifa explained as she began to arrange the fire pit.

"Solar… power?" Zack looked a bit confused by the concept.

Tifa shrugged to show she didn't quite understand it herself. "He said it was a suggestion from Rachas a while ago while they were discussing alternative power sources."

"How sexy…" Kunsel joked as he appeared from a tent. "I hope she's not gone long though, Reeve seems to draw a fair amount of strength from her."

"She'll be back soon enough," Aeris told him with a smile.

_**Normal**_

Nick and Jen arrived at around 5am the next morning and were quick to rouse me by hugging me.

"You're back! You're back!" Jen declared happily as she squeezed me tightly in the early morning before the two of them quickly escorted me to their car. They had driven straight through the night to come for me and were now planning to trade off on driving duty to get back.

"What happened?" Nick asked as he took my backpack while Jen pushed me towards the back door of their car.

"I- I don't really know," I told them and Jen shook her head at her fiancé.

We were on the road several minutes later and I found myself staring out the window at the streets as we moved through Miami and eventually joined the I-75 interstate heading north. I was so keenly aware now of all the life that surrounded the road and how I couldn't hear it anymore.

"So… We took care of the house while you were away. Even found something that I think you'll be interested in," Nick said as he drove.

"What is it?" I asked, eager for any sort of distraction at that moment. As happy as I was to see them, I realized that I was already counting the days until I would return to Gaia. This was the morning of my fourth day, so I was wondering if I would just be transported back at midnight on the seventh day.

"A letter addressed to you," Jen said. "It's from your grandpa."

"Where did you find it?" I demanded. "Is it here?"

"Easy, we found it when we were looking through the attic when your parents were trying to kick us out," Nick explained. "We didn't bring it with us; it's in your room."

"Sorry," Jen said.

"My parents tried to kick you out?" My voice was a dead pan at that moment.

Both glanced back at me before Jen nodded. "They declared they were now the owners since you were dead," she explained and I barely bit back a growl. I knew our relationship was bad but this was ridiculous!

"The lease that we signed was what kept us from being kicked out," Nick told me.

We pulled off the interstate at around 8am to have breakfast at an IHOP. I surprised them when I barely touched my food, something that they had never known me to do. It was as we were heading to the car that Jen finally noticed something different about me.

"Your hair!" she exclaimed as she got a good look at my hair and I realized that though I had been sent back to Earth my hair was still ash blond. Another reminder of Gaia.

Jen took over driving then and I took the front passenger seat so that Nick could get some sleep on the backseat. Neither of us spoke at the moment, we didn't know what to say. I pulled out the file from the bank after a few minutes though and began to organize and plan.

We drove straight through the day, only stopping for gas and restrooms. Neither Jen nor Nick would let me drive so I had plenty of time to think.

I wasn't surprised to see a rental car in front of my house when we finally pulled up that evening since my aunt and uncle had said that they were coming, but I was surprised by the sheer number of people that jumped to greet me when we came through the door. In addition to Uncle Char and Aunt Susan were Kim, Will, Rob, Sara, and Sean. And they were expecting Kylie and three more to show up in another day or two.

The group pulled me every which way for a while, all of them wanting a hug and to welcome me back in their own way before Jen grabbed my arm and dragged me through the house to show me that everything was just as I had left it.

Unsurprisingly Kim had cooked a feast in celebration of my return and as everyone served themselves they all tried to catch me up on the news of what had happened while I was gone. Kim, despite not having a car, had moved to New Orleans shortly after my disappearance. She still didn't have a car and had caught a bus to get here.

Will's workplace had run into hard times so he had joined the military after being laid off in hopes of getting GI benefits. Much like me, he had been disowned by his family but hadn't been fortunate enough to have a grandpa who helped with his college bills.

Rob was still working at the airport in Mobile but Sara had accepted a job in Texas. She had taken some vacation time and told her employer it was an emergency in order to be here.

Sean didn't say much about what he was doing but I didn't anticipate that he would.

Uncle Char was the one who got me completely up to date by explaining the settlements that had occurred with my insurance company after my disappearance as well as how he had had to point out the legal and binding lease that I had with Nick and Jen and that since I wasn't legally dead it was still in effect.

"So, you want to get a Will in place?" he asked after he had finished the long explanation and I nodded.

"The sooner the better."

"I have called a friend who lives in this area who knows some lawyers who specialize in Wills so we might be able to get you in tomorrow."

"Hey hey!" my aunt interrupted as she stepped between us. "No morbid topics right now!"

I smiled at her in a tired manner before picking some more at the food on the plate I had been handed. Though I was able to swallow a few bites it still fell into the category of barely palatable. No one seemed to mind or notice though that I wasn't eating much.

It wasn't until very late that I was able to excuse myself from everyone to go read the letter left to me by my grandpa. My aunt and uncle took the guest room that night while everyone else decided to camp out in the living room.

The letter was sitting on my dresser and had not been opened. Picking it up, I swore right then that I could feel his echo as I tore open the envelope.

_Dear freckles,_ the letter began and despite myself I smiled at his words. My grandpa had always called my freckles angel kisses and had been sad when they faded during my teenage years, still insisting upon calling me that nickname.

_If you're reading this, then it means that I never had the courage to tell you some of the things I had always feared and to be honest even as I write this I'm not sure how to approach them. But I guess the easiest way is to say that you always were more like me, and I don't just mean the blue eyes and blond hair that skipped your father's generation. It was something I could tell starting from when you were very young, the way you loved to come and work in the garden with me. I was sure of it when we had a certain conversation when you were about ten. You might not remember it too well, but one day I asked you what was more important: kindness or understanding. You thought about it for a while and I was certain you would say understanding since you always were the logical type. You surprised me when you told me kindness and explained that understanding just brings more questions, especially about hurt and pain people can willingly cause. Kindness allowed you to end each day knowing that in some way you had helped make a person's life easier or better, even if it was just by offering a smile._

_When I was a young man I was approached in a dream that wasn't a dream due to my being awake by a Goddess. She asked if I would consider going with her to another world. I refused that day, but not because I was disbelieving. It was because I had met your grandmother and could feel that my destiny lay with her. I never regretted that decision. This Goddess appeared again when you were just a baby as I held you for the first time and said that one day you would be given the same choice as I was. I already knew what you would choose and treasured you more, knowing that you could one day disappear._

_For all that happens in your life, always remember that I and your grandmother love you and wish for your happiness. Wherever you go, make the best of it and don't be afraid. Make the choice for your heart and not with your head, much like when you told me kindness was more important than understanding._

_Love always, Grandpa._

I read the letter over and over, disbelieving of what I was seeing yet there it was on paper. My hands shook as I hugged the letter to my chest and the tears slowly came. I wondered briefly if Grandpa would have liked Reeve then decided that that was a ludicrous train of thought. At least my Grandpa had gotten his wish though; I had made a decision with my heart even though my brain had protested it up until it was made.

My fourth day on Earth ended with me falling asleep on my bed, my Grandpa's last letter in hand and Reeve in my thoughts.

The next morning dawned bright and promised a hot day in Mobile and with so many people in the house it was only natural that the morning was chaotic. Aunt Susan tried to make pancakes for everyone while Sean made coffee. The problem with this set up was thus: she couldn't cook and his version of coffee was an overly caffeinated sludge that would make a sloth skip if you were able to force feed it even a spoon full. Luckily for those who were capable of eating Will took over breakfast.

By noon Uncle Char had loaded me into his rental car and drove us to an office downtown to meet with the attorney we had been referred to.

The attorney seemed taken aback that I was his client but agreed to meet with me privately while my uncle waited for us.

We decided on both a written Will and a video just to cover our bases. On both I swore that I was sound of body and mind before disseminating my worldly possessions. I left the house to Nick and Jen, my car to Kim, and various other items to my other friends. My accounts were also to be divided between several Will, Sara, and Sean. To my aunt and uncle I left several pieces of jewelry that were heirlooms and my stocks.

It was mid-afternoon before my business with the attorney was complete and as my uncle and I drove back to the house, he expressed some concerns.

"You really don't have to go directly back to work," he said as we pulled onto the interstate. "It might be better for you to take a month or two off, visit Susan and me in Chicago or stay in our lake house."

"What has changed?" I asked as a means of changing the subject since I didn't feel up for making a promise I couldn't keep. "Are my siblings doing well?"

Uncle Char hesitated for a moment, focusing solely upon the road. "Your parents disowned one of your sisters."

"What?" I was surprised by this since the last time I had spoken to any of my siblings they were so consumed with money and their inheritance that they were just telling me not to call them.

"It was Marie this time," he admitted. "She… came out of the closet and introduced your parents to her girlfriend."

I blinked in surprised this time. Marie had had so many boyfriends that I could admit I had never even suspected, but then again our relationship even before I was disowned wasn't a good one. "How is she doing?"

"Not talking to anyone," he said as we pulled off the interstate. "I think she was really hoping your parents would accept her preference."

I groaned as I sat back. "Out of six children, three are now disowned. Those two must be so proud."

Uncle Char grunted his assent as we turned into my neighborhood.

I had hoped to look up the storyline for Dirge of Cerberus that day but that plan was dashed by my aunt as she insisted upon dragging me right back out to shop for some clothes when she finally realized that I was still wearing the spare clothes that the Coast Guard had given me and then we met up with my uncle and visiting friends at Shogun's since they all remembered me adoring hibachi restaurants.

Sara wanted us to have a movie night that night and I found that I couldn't sneak away. Each time I got up someone else would follow me wherever it was I went. I ended up falling asleep with everyone else in a dog pile on the living room floor.

The sixth day I was awakened by Kim squirming her way out of the dog pile so she could make breakfast. Seizing my chance, I tried to make my way to the computer only to be caught by Kylie, Chloe, Derek, and Josh as they finally arrived.

"I know a guy at the Mobile airport," Derek told me as breakfast was served several minutes later. "He's looking for a pilot right now and seemed interested when I told him 'bout you."

"Hey, don't be so quick with this!" Chloe told him then turned and whispered to Kim as she nodded at my plate. "How's she been eating?"

"Not well," Kim told her. "We went to Shogun's last night to try to see if we could interest her and she barely ate anything."

"These things take time," Chloe admitted and I almost snorted at our resident psychologist. It wasn't that I was upset; I just couldn't eat when everything tasted like sand. I was hungry beyond belief but the food here just didn't appeal.

Everyone already had plans for that day so I found myself herded to one of the cars as everyone loaded up to go to the beach for the day.

It was honestly wonderful to be back with everyone that day as we went to the beach for several hours then spent the hot hours of the afternoon at a karaoke bar where Will sang in his typical amazing fashion while the rest of us chose fun songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody and crowded the stage. As evening fell we bought hot dogs, graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows before heading back to the beach and for several hours it felt like we were all back in college again, having a carefree night on the sand dunes.

It was during a brief moment of calm that I remembered all about learning about what happened in Dirge of Cerberus and luckily Sean was sitting across from me right then.

"Hey Sean, I was just wondering. You said Dirge of Cerberus was the sequel to Final Fantasy 7 and Advent Children, right?"

Sean glanced over at me then smiled slightly. "Yeah, but what brought this up? Thinking of playing?"

"Curious about what happened is all."

"I told you before so I'll say it again, Hojo proves to not be quite dead."

"How?" I asked and Sean grinned.

"You gotta play the game to figure it out."

"Come on, just tell me!" I begged but Sean's grin just grew as he shook his head.

"You know me, I don't give spoilers!" he replied and I glanced around for someone else who might have played Dirge of Cerberus but realized soon enough that while everyone had played FFVII and watched Advent Children with the exception of Sean it was unlikely that any of them had played Dirge.

We camped out on the beach for what was probably my last night on Earth and headed back to the house early the next morning as it began to rain.

The weather quickly turned very foul and before we pulled into the driveway the wind had picked up considerably and lightning danced across the sky. It was just typical that on my last day the power would go out because of a storm.

Uncle Char and Aunt Susan packed up that day and said their goodbyes before heading to the airport since they both had to get back to work. Sara and Will similarly had to leave but Kim and the rest were able to stay.

The storm lasted all day and the power never came back on as the weather seemed to get worse and worse. Those of us left in the house entertained ourselves by sharing stories about what had happened in the last couple of months. I pretended to not have any memories beyond vague recollections of running for my life or staring at a starry sky.

At one point in the afternoon I managed to excuse myself for a few minutes and went to my room. There was no power right now so instead of trying to boot up my laptop I emptied my backpack then repacked it with new toiletries, some trinkets of my grandparents that I couldn't bear to part with, and two changes of clothes. It was as I was zipping up my pack that a voice caught my attention.

"You're leaving again, aren't you?"

Glancing over I saw Jen in the doorway, her eyes locked on my pack and I couldn't deny what I was doing.

"Will you be coming back this time?"

"Probably not," I admitted after a moment of thought.

"You do remember the last few months then, don't you?" she asked and I nodded. "What's he like?"

My jaw dropped slightly as I stared at her and she offered a sad smile.

"I've known you since we were in high school when you were introduced as my math tutor and we became friends. Even back then you were always trying to get Will to notice you. This is the first time I've seen you and him in a room together without you trying to sit by him." She walked over to my bed then and sat down next to my pack. "The others might write off your behavior as stress, but I know better."

I sighed then sat down by her. "I'm not allowed to stay," I admitted. "And even if I was, I'd still probably choose to go back."

"Will you be able to write at least?"

I shook my head. "This time is for good though I'll miss you all. And just so you know ahead of time: you and Nick are going to inherit the house. Think of it as my wedding present to you."

Jen bit her lip then took my hand and squeezed it.

"He's very nice," I began. "Handsome, intelligent, educated, and caring. He helped me get away from some very nasty people at great personal risk."

Jen smiled faintly though I could feel her shaking slightly. "How will we know you're ok?"

There was no answer for that, so I squeezed her hand then reached back, grabbed my pack and swung it over my shoulder. No one noticed as I made my way to the back door and let myself out into the yard where I stared at the garden that my grandpa and I had planted years ago. It was where I had scattered his ashes.

The day was beginning to darken as afternoon turned into evening as I moved through the garden once more, touching the roses and lilies before moving to the vegetable side where the rosemary and dill were thriving.

I felt Minerva's approach right as I was checking the watermelons that Nick had obviously planted and stood in the pouring rain.

"_Ready?"_ she asked and I nodded as my fingers clutched the straps of my backpack. All around me the rain seemed to pick up in intensity if that was even possible as the wind roared through the trees.

"Chris?" I heard someone shout from the backdoor but the sound was muted and I couldn't move as water seemed to rise around me then a bright light flashed and my feet left the ground.

Severe disorientation set in within moments as the world seemed to spin and tilt around me before my feet hit ground again and I sank to the ground as the water seemed to break around me.

I was back in Banora from the looks of things, the evening hours having just started. And before me on the ground was a folder as well as my weapons, materia, charts, and gil.

"_My final gift,"_ Minerva whispered as I picked up the folder and inside found several documents. There was a birth certificate that named me Christine Rachas Kaze, daughter of Vincent and Celia Kaze, the names of my grandparents. Also in the folder were a Diploma and a college transcript, proving I had attended and graduated from an accredited Aeronautical Engineering program. Pilot Licenses were also tucked into the folder and I quickly shoved everything into my backpack as I headed back to my plane.

My hunger finally got the better of me as I approached my plane and I grabbed one of the dumbapples from one of the trees to snack on. After a week of hardly eating, the taste of that apple could be described as unbelievable and as I glanced around the clearing, I realized that these apples would all go to waste without people here, and I had promised to try to find food for the survivors of Midgar.

For the remaining hours of light that night I picked apples using my powers and hands and loaded them into my plane, stuffing it to capacity. If nothing else, my arrival in Midgar should be quite funny.

I slept under the stars that night since my tent had been left in Midgar, enjoying the song of the Planet even as I mourned my final goodbyes to my friends.

_**Midgar**_

Aeris had been smiling ever since early evening despite the fact that Barret had been the one to try to cook dinner that night with some of the last of their supplies.

"What has you in such a good mood?" Tifa asked from around a mouthful of the stew Barret had made.

Aeris's smile turned to her before she answered. "Rachas will be back soon."

"Really? Did she find any food?" Zack asked as he bounced where he was seated, drawing laughs from the few that were gathered at the fire. Reeve was once again noticeably absent.

"Talked to Jess today," Barret said once Zack had calmed down. "She got some information on that Solar Power Reeve's havin' research done on. 'Parently Shinra started developin' the tech some years back then scrapped the project. It creates power from the sun."

"It's clean energy then?" Tifa asked and Barret nodded.

"People'll want that more'n they'll want coal or oil soon enough." Now the brutish looking man seemed a bit downtrodden.

"It won't be able to take over completely for several years," Kunsel offered in comfort but Barret just snorted.

"Corel existed in the mines," Barret replied.

"Speaking of Corel, we do have a plan for your hometown," a voice called said and all eyes glanced up to see Reeve approach. Aeris smiled at their friend as she took a bowl and served him some of the stew which Reeve accepted quietly.

"Plan for Corel?" Barret asked as he took in the strange appearance of the executive. Due to the absence of washers Reeve's suits had been traded out for work clothes better suited for their current conditions, a rough pair of jeans and a button-up shirt. He still looked oddly dignified and a little out of place.

"Rachas actually suggested using the mountains and rivers near Corel as a source of power, a dam," Reeve explained as he sniffed the stew and took a small bite. "After studying the topography it seems like a sound idea."

"A dam?" Barret looked like he didn't quite know what to think of the idea then shrugged. "When'd'ya start buildin'?"

"As soon as we either displace the financial department or raise a million gil," Reeve replied as he set his mostly untouched bowl of stew aside. "I've tried calling Dio and he says he would support the project but currently has no income to help with buying materials. He would intend to buy power for his park from Corel."

Barret thought it over then grinned at the idea.

"Are your other projects going well?" Cloud asked as he slowly consumed his own stew.

Reeve shrugged then looked up at the stars. "I finally have a team for researching and further developing the Solar Panels and they set out for Junon today. I'm seriously considering if I should relocate all of the financial department employees to the construction crews since they're complaining about how much that is going to cost. Scarlet is starting to recover but doesn't realize that Weapon Development no longer exists so she no longer holds a position in Shinra. Surprisingly Palmer is proving useful though aggravating."

"How is that?" Tifa asked as she remembered that disgusting grease-ball.

"He knows a number of engineers and technicians that are in need of work. Even if their skill set is in rockets or aircraft, they have the math skills to help in some capacity with rebuilding."

Various members of AVALANCHE shrugged, seeing nothing wrong with this.

"Oh, and Aeris said Rachas will be back tomorrow!" Zack stated excitedly and Reeve's eyes widened comically.

"Did she call?" he asked and Aeris shook her head.

"No, I just had a vision of her," she informed him with a smile.

_**Normal**_

Entering my plane that morning was a tricky matter. Because my plane was stuffed with apples, though not enough to be overweight or to shift the center of gravity too far forward or back, I had a choice of either climbing over the apples to my pilot seat or making use of the window that I had opened the night before. I somehow managed to squeeze through the window.

Knowing that I needed fuel to make it back to Midgar, I headed for the ruins of Mideel first to see if I could buy fuel there. I was lucky in that the airfield was no longer being used for the village square and they did have fuel. The field operator even gave me a discount when I told him through the window that the reason I couldn't get out of the plane was because it was stuffed with food for the people of Midgar. It still cost about 50,000 gil to refuel my plane but the amount didn't seem to cut into my stash too badly.

The doctor caught sight of me and wandered over before I could start up and take off again and we exchanged some news. From what I could gather Geostigma had been officially declared an epidemic, even his nurse was starting to show some early signs. The first few victims had died within hours but these later ones weren't dying as quickly.

"I'll be sure to pass along that this has reached down here," I told him before he nodded and stepped away from the aircraft. I started up and taxied onto the field and took off without further incident.

Before when I had flown on Gaia there were few people on the radio so it was surprising to hear so many voices as I flew to Midgar, most of them were people on the ground with battery powered radios who were trying to figure out what had happened.

I answered what questions I could and apologized to people who called, asking for me to fly them to different locations, informing that my plane was at capacity with supplies for Midgar.

The wastes around Midgar were showing a surprising level of order when I reached the city, there was even a make-shift airfield where I was able to land.

"What d'ya got here?" asked a man as I taxied off of what seemed to be the runway.

"Food," I called back and the man grinned before calling over several other men who brought a cart with them.

"Well, open up!" One of the men called.

"You'll want several carts and you'll have to open the door yourselves, being very careful when you do!"

The men glanced at one another and two of them went to retrieve another cart as one of the two who remained reached up and opened the tail door of my aircraft slowly then yelled as several apples cascaded down on him.

"The hell?!" the other man yelled as he shoved the cart under the door in order to catch the apples.

"Told you to be careful!" I shouted at them.

The four men ended up filling four carts with apples, all of them laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. But we all knew that even this enormous amount of apples was just a drop in the bucket when it came to keeping Midgar fed.

Cait Sith was waiting for me by the airfield and had happily jumped into my arms when he saw me.

"Good to see you lass!" he declared and I grinned down at the robot before we walked to where I remembered having camped with the others previously and was not disappointed. Aeris was already there and she jumped up to greet me happily.

"I'm so glad I was correct!" she exclaimed as we sat down by the tents, Cait still in my arms. "Nothing has really changed since you were last here except Tifa has decided that she wants to build a house that will double as a bar."

"Good to hear she's finding her way. What about the epidemic?"

Aeris's face turned stony instantly. "More people are getting sick everyday and I can't figure out why! It's not the Lifestream, not really."

"I think it's Jenova, the disease your mother described in her videos caused by the Calamity," I informed her and she slowly nodded.

"Did you find any food?" she asked and I nodded as I pulled out my pack and pulled out several dumbapples.

"My plane was filled with these," I told her as I handed one of the apples to her.

Aeris stared at the fruit in mild confusion. "What is it?"

"That is a dumbapple, the native fruit of Banora," I replied.

Since it was just about midday when I arrived, we had several hours before anyone else showed up so I accompanied Aeris as she tried to discern areas that would be good for growing crops and trees. We had to go a fair ways out from Midgar in order to find land that wasn't so wasted since we didn't have years to cultivate the ground. Places that seemed promising were marked off on a map and as the sun began to sink we headed back to the camp, thankfully getting there before Barret if Aeris's description of his cooking was to be believed.

The ration of vegetables we had for our group was enough to make a stew but not much else. It made me wonder how badly Barret could have messed up or how untalented he had to be as a cook.

Cloud, Zack, and Kunsel all arrived at the same time since they had all been involved in heavy lifting and I found myself set upon by a sweaty puppy.

"Zack! Get off, you stink!"

"You won't smell too great soon enough!" he informed me with a grin as he hugged me harder and I gagged at his body odor.

"Honestly, how does Aeris put up with you?" I demanded as he finally set me down.

"She's special, now," he drew Kunsel, Cloud, and me in with a serious expression. "Do any of you know where I can get a good engagement bracelet for Aeris? I think she'd like that more than a ring considering that she usually works in her garden."

I thought for a moment before my mind went to some of the trinkets that I had brought with me to Gaia. One of those things was a set of golf bangles that my grandma had passed down to me. I never wore them, choosing to keep them for sentimental sake, but I could part with one for this since I had three.

"I have something," I told him then retrieved my bag and dug out one of the bangles and handed it to him.

"Wow," Zack said as he stared at the bracelet then grinned. "Equipment manager indeed!"

"Don't start that again!" I yelled after him as Cloud and Kunsel laughed.

Barret arrived several minutes later with Tifa. They had been overseeing the construction for Tifa's new bar. After they had greeted me we were told that the first floor would be done soon so we'd be able to move into an actual building.

Reeve was the last to arrive and I was almost shy when I noticed him. I did notice the change in clothes but found I didn't care.

Since Zack and Aeris were now engaged they shared one tent and I found out that Cloud and Tifa had also been sharing. Reeve and Kunsel had been sharing but with my return Kunsel moved in with Barret which allowed me to share with Reeve. As we settled in that night, I found that despite all that had happened and how much all of us had lost, I was happy to see him like this. We had both now seen each other at our worst and I found that I didn't mind one way or the other so long as he remained the man I knew him as.

The new Seventh Heaven was finished a little over a week later though the lot of us moved in three days after my return. During that time I had busied myself by working with the other engineers and technicians that were still in Midgar. We were kept busy by servicing vehicles and working with the Urban Development staff as they designed the city, discussing power grids, water treatment and sewage, public transportation, and a number of topics. Each day I found the time to meditate though and poured my extra energy into finding a cure for Geostigma. Aeris did much the same even as the fields she had chosen were planted and a number of people (usually children or the elderly) were sent out to help her tend to the plants.

Almost three months after my return as the temperatures began to cool, signaling the month of September, the first of the Solar Panels were declared ready and sent to Midgar. Reeve asked me to help with the installation of the panels which I did. Though I had no clue at the beginning of the project, several of the engineers and researchers from Junon had come along to show what to do with the first set and before long I had my own team. The panels were installed on top of a number of buildings in the still unnamed city we were building and most of the buildings built afterwards. Some of the places needed to be rewired for the panels but soon enough all the buildings were compatible.

The Solar Panels and their batteries weren't the most reliable sources of power, but luckily Kalm had made use of the wind generator designs that Bugenhagen had left and was able to send their extra energy to us. It still wasn't enough.

During the fouth month, October, Zack and Aeris moved out of the Seventh Heaven when their new home was built and Marlene moved in while Elmyra decided to stay in Kalm. By this point Geostigma was being called as such and Aeris and I were dedicating every waking moment that we weren't busy to trying to find the cure. It was also around this time that Aeris's fields gave their first generous sized bounty which made food in the new settlement to not be as big of an issue for a while.

Minerva refused to answer my calls anymore and much of the knowledge on how the disease was previously cured was buried deep within the Planet. Each day more people were falling prey to the disease and the death toll was starting to rise.

Reeve, Cait Sith, and I moved out of Seventh Heaven halfway through the month of November, right in time for him to find my birth certificate and demand to know why I hadn't mentioned my quickly approaching birthday.

December came and went and I found that rather than Christmas, Gaia celebrated the Festival of Lights; a holiday that I knew had once existed on Earth. There wasn't much that could be done that year but people still celebrated the season with candles and songs. It was around this time that I really began to wonder what was taking Minerva so long when it came to resurrecting Sephiroth.

January brought snow and the second series of Solar Panels and batteries, ones that the teams hoped would be more efficient. My team and I changed out the panels as quickly as we could but there were always complaints about the power being out when we did. Reeve was also contacted by Rufus during the month and had slowly begun to hand control of Shinra over to him. He seemed pleased to be handing off the company and spoke to me about how he was feeling the need to be a bit more proactive in trying to get the world on the road to recovery and insure that monopolies like what Shinra had set in place couldn't happen again.

Life wasn't perfect, there were plenty of hardships that we were facing but I found myself happy to be facing them with my friends and with Reeve. And each day I listened for some signal that Sephiroth was ready to rejoin the world or for some hint on how to cure Geostigma.

_**To be continued in Between Worlds: A New Chapter**_


	59. Chapter 59

Hey all! Just letting you know that the first chapter of the second part of the fic is about to be posted! I hope you enjoyed **Between Worlds** and will also check out **Between World: A New Chapter**!


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